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Deliver us from Evil: Religion as insurance

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Author Info

  • Andrew Clark

    () (CNRS, PSE, and IZA)

  • Orsolya Lelkes

    (European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research)

Abstract

This paper focusses on the insurance role of religion in buffering the well-being impact of stressful life events, and the ensuing economic and social implications. Using two large-scale European data sets, we show that the religious enjoy higher levels of life satisfaction, and that religion does insure against some adverse life events. All denominations suffer less psychological harm from unemployment than do the non-religious; equally both Catholics and Protestants are less hurt by marital separation. However, while Protestants are protected against divorce, Catholics are punished for it. These results do not seem to come about from the endogeneity of religion. These patterns in subjective well-being correspond to data on both attitudes (the religious are both anti-divorce and anti-job creation for the unemployed) and behaviour (the religious unemployed are less likely to be actively looking for work). In panel data, as implied by insurance, the religious have less variation in life satisfaction. Last, we suggest that religion s insurance role might be reflected in support for different economic and social systems: consistent with this, unemployment replacement rates across Europe are lower in more religious countries.

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File URL: http://www.ugr.es/~teoriahe/RePEc/gra/paoner/per06_03.pdf
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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada. in its series Papers on Economics of Religion with number 06/03.

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Length: 38 pages
Date of creation: 15 Feb 2006
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:gra:paoner:06/03

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Keywords: Life Satisfaction; Religion; Unemployment; Marriage; Divorce; Insurance.;

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References

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Blog mentions

As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
  1. Some benefits of religion
    by chris dillow in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2013-02-10 13:54:16
  2. Why are the old happier?
    by chris dillow in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2008-03-05 09:48:37
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  1. Économie de la religion in Wikipedia (French)
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