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Competition and Participation in Religious Markets: Evidence from Victorian Scotland

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  • Robert I. Mochrie
  • John W. Sawkins
  • Alexander Naumov

Abstract

In 1885, the largest churches in Scotland were engaged in a dispute about state funding. We use data generated in the course of that dispute to examine the standard economics of religion hypothesis that higher levels of competition in 1032 local markets for religious services, proxied by the number of denominations active in each, were associated with higher religious affiliation, proxied by measures of attendance and voluntary congregational giving. Adapting the complexity order approach of Montgomery (2003), we find evidence that is congruent with the hypothesis. However, we contend that the evidence is better explained by an alternative proposition that, given the particular institutional structure of markets and denominations at this time, market complexity does not decline with increasing market size

Suggested Citation

  • Robert I. Mochrie & John W. Sawkins & Alexander Naumov, 2006. "Competition and Participation in Religious Markets: Evidence from Victorian Scotland," Working Papers E01, Department of Economics, School of Management and Languages, Heriot Watt University.
    • Handle: RePEc:hwe:hwecwp:2006-e01
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lynne Pepall & Daniel Richards & John Straub & Michael DeBartolo, 2006. "Competition and Civic Engagement in the Religious Marketplace," Discussion Papers Series, Department of Economics, Tufts University 0603, Department of Economics, Tufts University.
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    5. Iannaccone, Laurence R & Finke, Roger & Stark, Rodney, 1997. "Deregulating Religion: The Economics of Church and State," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 35(2), pages 350-364, April.
    6. Ian Smith & John Sawkins, 2003. "The economics of regional variation in religious attendance," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(14), pages 1577-1588.
    7. Olds, Kelly, 1994. "Privatizing the Church: Disestablishment in Connecticut and Massachusetts," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(2), pages 277-297, April.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Competition; institutional structure; Presbyterian; Scotland;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L88 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Government Policy
    • N93 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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