Deliver us from Evil: Religion as insurance

Andrew Clark and Orsolya Lelkes

No 06/03, Papers on Economics of Religion from Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada.

Abstract: This paper focusses on the insurance role of religion in buffering the well-being impact of stressful life events, and the ensuing economic and social implications. Using two large-scale European data sets, we show that the religious enjoy higher levels of life satisfaction, and that religion does insure against some adverse life events. All denominations suffer less psychological harm from unemployment than do the non-religious; equally both Catholics and Protestants are less hurt by marital separation. However, while Protestants are protected against divorce, Catholics are punished for it. These results do not seem to come about from the endogeneity of religion. These patterns in subjective well-being correspond to data on both attitudes (the religious are both anti-divorce and anti-job creation for the unemployed) and behaviour (the religious unemployed are less likely to be actively looking for work). In panel data, as implied by insurance, the religious have less variation in life satisfaction. Last, we suggest that religion s insurance role might be reflected in support for different economic and social systems: consistent with this, unemployment replacement rates across Europe are lower in more religious countries.

Keywords: Life Satisfaction; Religion; Unemployment; Marriage; Divorce; Insurance. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D02 I31 J12 J65 Z12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 38 pages
Date: 2006-02-15
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hpe, nep-ias and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (30)

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http://www.ugr.es/~teoriahe/RePEc/gra/paoner/per06_03.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Deliver us from evil: religion as insurance (2005)
Working Paper: Deliver us from evil: religion as insurance (2005)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gra:paoner:06/03

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