Utility and the Unseen: Modelling the Determinants of Church Growth in Rural India

Oliver Perkins

Cambridge Working Papers in Economics from Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge

Abstract: Using a novel rational choice framework, this paper examines the causal effects of pastors on church growth in rural India. Utilising high-quality primary survey data from 559 Indian pastors, the analysis employs instrumental variable and multivariate regression techniques. This is the first economics paper focused outside the West to find evidence that the attributes of religious leaders help determine religious switching and the first to show a higher emphasis on supernatural experiences from religious leaders can cause faster church growth.

Date: 2026-01-16
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