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The Political Economy of Polytheism: the Indian Versus the Greco-Roman Religions

Author

Listed:
  • Atin Basuchoudhary

    (Virginia Military Institute)

  • Mario Ferrero

    (University of Eastern Piedmont)

  • Timothy Lubin

    (Washington and Lee University)

Abstract

While most ancient polytheistic religions died out under the impact of monotheism, Hinduism stands out as a lively exception. Why was the Indian variety of polytheism more resilient than the Greek and Roman variety? This paper—the first to subject classical Hinduism to modern economic analysis—argues that the theological structure and the organization of priesthoods, which together determine the form of competition within the religious system, may help explain the different historical outcomes of these polytheistic systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Atin Basuchoudhary & Mario Ferrero & Timothy Lubin, 2020. "The Political Economy of Polytheism: the Indian Versus the Greco-Roman Religions," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 183-211, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:homoec:v:37:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s41412-020-00102-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s41412-020-00102-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. Steven J. Brams, 2002. "Biblical Games: Game Theory and the Hebrew Bible," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262523329, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mario Ferrero, 2021. "From Polytheism to Monotheism: Zoroaster and Some Economic Theory," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 77-108, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Greco-Roman religion; Indian religion; Polytheism; Priests; Sects; Religious competition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion
    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations

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