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

Atin Basuchoudhary, Mario Ferrero and Timothy Lubin
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Timothy Lubin: Washington and Lee University

Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, 2020, vol. 37, issue 3, No 2, 183-211

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: Greco-Roman religion; Indian religion; Polytheism; Priests; Sects; Religious competition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D71 Z12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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DOI: 10.1007/s41412-020-00102-z

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