The economics of religious indulgences

Article Abstract:

Indulgences were used by the Catholic Church in the late Middle Ages, and were the subject of controversy during the Reformation. The Catholic Church can be seen as a club which has a specialized agency managing it. The agency aims to increase club membership, and religious indulgences are a way of allowing the self-selection of members in line with their attitudes toward risk. Club members who are very risk-averse maintain moral behavior despite the availability of indulgences, while other members who are not as averse to risk prefer to use indulgences. The Church itself benefits from the usage of indulgences.

Economic aspects, Catholic Church, Indulgences

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Religion as paradigm

Article Abstract:

Professor Margolis's article 'Religion as Paradigm' argues that there is more tolerance between rival scientific belief systems than between rival religious belief systems because scientific claims tend to be resolved by observation whereas religious claims depend on faith. However, intolerance towards belief systems appears to be linked more to the perceived negative consequences of the behaviour of followers of the allegedly false belief systems.

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The conflict of science and religion: religious metaphysics and the scientific world view as alternatives

Article Abstract:

There are many differing views regarding the relationship between religion and science, but the historical conflict between the two presupposes that there is some common ground and competition between them. However, such competition cannot exist with respect to specifically religious needs, but only with respect to the cognitive core or the claim of knowledge linked to religious views.

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