Three Essays On Church Competition: The Role Of Economic Modernization, Historical Legacies, And National Sentiments

When people outside sociological classrooms hear about church competition, they think primarily about conflicts or disagreements between religious groups. From a deep history of the West-East Schism and the Reformation to the more recent Yugoslav wars, there have been plenty of religious conflicts that have led to political disagreements, economic competition, and casualties. However, comparative sociologists often view church competition as something else. Church competition is often studied as a part of a broader agenda labeled in sociological literature with many names, e.g. religious economies, supply-side theories or church competition theory. Leaving details aside, these names are used to call a stream of thoughts defending the idea that a diverse supply of religious products and services explains religious vitality in certain societies if not around the Globe. According to this theory, competition provides additional incentives for churches to fight for their congregation. Consequently, religious identities and practices of people are inspired and reinforced by churches.