P37 - Socialist Systems and Transitional Economies: Legal Institutions; Illegal BehaviorNávrat zpět

This paper introduces possibilities for applying the economics of religion in Central European context. It reviews economic literature on religion, both the modern tradition of economic analysis of religious behavior and the Weberian tradition of analyzing consequences of religion for economy. Two local applications are used for illustration. The first one is an analysis of religious participation in post-communist countries; the second one is an examination of the role of religion in the post-communist transition. Changes in religious participation can be interpreted, among other models, using a model of individual time allocation. This model provides a good explanation for the post-communist period. The examination of the role of religion in the post-communist transition indicates that Western Christianity provides better conditions for introducing free market institutions as compared to Orthodox Christianity and Islam. Suggestions for further research are provided in the conclusion.