The Economics of Faith: Prof. Paul Seabright Explains The Divine Economy

Dr. Paul Seabright, Professor of Economics at the Toulouse School of Economics, joined the Business Talk podcast to discuss his book The Divine Economy: How Religions Compete for Wealth, Power, and People and his research on religious movements as economic platforms that compete for members and resources while providing vital services such as education, marriage facilitation, financial support, and insurance against life shocks. He reflected on how religions operate on both the extensive margin (which faith people join) and the intensive margin (how much time and commitment they devote), drawing on fieldwork from India, China, Ghana, Haiti, and beyond to show the remarkable diversity of religious practice and the ways communities offer material, emotional, and preventive support to their members. At the same time, he highlighted troubling patterns of abuse enabled by cultures of secrecy and silence, and argued for treating religions as legitimate but accountable organisations that, like businesses, should be subject to basic transparency and reporting standards to protect trust while respecting religious freedom. This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. For more information, please visit www.globalmanagementconsultancy.com. Disclaimer: A. The background music used in this video is the property of its respective developer and is protected by Copyright. Although it is a free version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy and Deepak Bhatt do not hold the rights to this music. B. Dr. Paul Seabright shared insightful perspectives from his acclaimed book “The Divine Economy: How Religions Compete for Wealth, Power”, and People during his conversation on the Business Talk podcast channel. The uploaded video contains copyrighted material; therefore, any modifications to graphics, music, or the presence of the author or host are strictly prohibited.