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Cathedral Building as an Entry‐Deterring Device

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  • Brighita Bercea
  • Robert B. Ekelund
  • Robert D. Tollison

Abstract

This paper suggests that, while medieval cathedrals served many purposes and, indeed, were some of the greatest technical achievements of their time, they served a rational economic purpose as well. Protestant entry into the market for Christian religion finally materialized in the early sixteenth century. The Roman Catholic Church did not make a ‘mistake’ in failing to forestall entry. We argue that the Church made a conscious rational effort to do so by supplying excess capacity and particular forms of capital in medieval cathedrals. While the attempt to forestall entry was ultimately unsuccessful, the extent of cathedral building helps explain why some areas of Europe remained Catholic and alternative forms of Christianity took hold in other locales.

Suggested Citation

  • Brighita Bercea & Robert B. Ekelund & Robert D. Tollison, 2005. "Cathedral Building as an Entry‐Deterring Device," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 453-465, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:kyklos:v:58:y:2005:i:4:p:453-465
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0023-5962.2005.00297.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Sascha O. Becker, Sascha O & Voth, Hans-Joachim, 2023. "From the Death of God to the Rise of Hitler," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1478, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    2. Fabio Padovano & Ronald Wintrobe, 2013. "The Dictatorship of the Popes," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(3), pages 365-377, August.
    3. Ahlfeldt, Gabriel M. & Barr, Jason, 2022. "The economics of skyscrapers: A synthesis," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    4. Koyama, Mark, 2010. "Evading the 'Taint of Usury': The usury prohibition as a barrier to entry," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 420-442, October.
    5. Constantine Bourlakis, 2016. "The Emperor?s New Mind: On Constantine?s I Decision to Legalize Christianity," International Journal of Social Sciences, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences, vol. 5(1), pages 47-59, February.
    6. Lara Shore-Sheppard & John Ham & Serkan Ozbeklik, 2012. "Estimating Heterogeneous Take-up and Crowd-Out Responses to Current Medicaid Limits and Their Nonmarginal Expansions," Department of Economics Working Papers 2012-05, Department of Economics, Williams College.

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