The economics of religion and its fundamentals: Testing a model of religious choice

Abstract

This paper aim, based on the literature of Economics of Religion, to the premise of human rationality related to religious behavior. Are discussed concepts and definitions of the Economics of Religion, the object of interest in this discipline, ie, the most important issues, and discuss briefly the origin and evolution of discipline. Rational Choice and Consumer Theory applied to the Religion, two of the theoretical fundamentals of Economics of Religion are discussed. As an empirical contribution, we carried out a test of a model of religious choice employing the technique of Discriminant Analysis. Finally, we discuss the advantages, objections and criticisms regarding the Rational Choice Theory of Religion.