Book Review of the Book The Wealth of Religions - The Political Economy of Believing and Belonging by R. J. Barro and R. M. McCleary

Abstract

The Wealth of Religions by Barro and McCleary is an epoch-making work of the inter-discipline of religious studies and development economics, an eight-chapter summary of sixteen years of research and seminar work. The topic is very up-to-date, eye-catching, and provocative to some extent, considering the fact that politics, economics, and religion remain divisive topics in most societies today. In an era of renewal of religious terrorism, religious wars, and religious discrimination, writing this book shows a brave commitment to freedom, justice, and universal prosperity. Barro and McCleary, coming from an economic and a moral philosopher background, respectively, have published plenty of academic papers, while simultaneously running the class Political Economy of Religions at Harvard on topics they write about in this book, published by the Princeton University Press.