Religion and inequality: the lasting impact of religious traditions and institutions on welfare state development

Abstract

A strong correlation exists between inequality and religion, such that societies marked by high inequality are more religious than those with more egalitarian income distributions. What explains this correlation? Insecurity theory argues that high inequality generates intense insecurities, leading the poor to seek shelter in religion for both psychological and material comfort. This article develops an alternative perspective that reverses the chain of causality. It argues that religious institutions and movements frequently resist both the centralization of state power and socialist efforts to organize the working class. As a result, powerful religious movements constrain state-led efforts to provide social protection, increasing income inequality. Analysis of the historical record and contemporary data from 19 Western democracies reveals strong evidence that past periods of church-state conflict shaped the size and structure of welfare state institutions and, by extension, contemporary patterns of inequality.

The Multidimensional Effects of Religion on Socioeconomic Development: A Review of the Empirical Literature

“…There is mounting qualitative evidence that religious actors played a vital role in shaping the development of distinct social welfare regimes in Western societies. For example, Jordan () argues that the Reform Protestant Movements’ emphasis on individual self‐responsibility and hard work (see also Bénabou and Tirole, ), combined with its deep suspicion of state authority, delayed and restricted welfare programs in Britain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Jordan () demonstrates for a sample of Western societies that the positive correlation between religion and economic inequality disappears once welfare regime types are controlled for.…”

Secular Values, Economic Development, and Gender Inequality in a Global Context

“…Similarly, as I discussed above, there is evidence that powerful religious movements, sometimes coupled with nationalist ideologies, can hinder governments' policies designed to reduce different types of social inequality in Western societies (Davis 2019;Jordan 2016). There is a number of studies suggesting that these religious movements are on the rise in some of the most secular places of the world and as a reaction to the process of secularization (Tranby and Zulkowski 2012;Emerson and Hartman 2006).…”

“…Religion can influence gender inequality not only by promoting patriarchal attitudes, values, and practices but also through hindering policies aimed to promote gender equality. In general, there is historical evidence that powerful religious movements, particularly in Western societies, have restricted governments' policies and efforts to reduce different types of social inequality (Jordan 2016). These policies, typically, pursue fundamental social changes and thus challenge the traditional authority of religious institutions (Htun and Weldon 2010).…”

religiosidade nas universidades de odontologia do Brasil

“…Existe uma forte correlação entre desigualdade e religião, de modo que sociedades marcadas por alta desigualdade são mais religiosas do que aquelas com distribuições de renda mais igualitárias. A teoria da insegurança argumenta que a alta desigualdade gera inseguranças intensas, levando os pobres a buscarem abrigo na religião para conforto psicológico e material 21 . A alta desigualdade produz maior vulnerabilidade econômica e insegurança entre os afetados.…”