蝌蚪网 Journal:
Economic Policy
ISSN 1945-7731 (Print) | ISSN 1945-774X (Online)
Substitution and Stigma: Evidence on Religious Markets from the Catholic Sex Abuse Scandal
蝌蚪网 Journal: Economic Policy
(pp. 227–53)
Abstract
This paper considers substitution between charitable activities in the context of religious practice by examining the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal's impact on both Catholic and non-Catholic religiosity. I find a fall in the Catholic population compensated by increases in non-Catholic participation and nonaffiliation. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest the scandal generated about $3 billion dollars in donations to non-Catholic faiths. Those leaving Catholicism frequently chose dissimilar alternatives: Baptist churches gained significantly while the Episcopal Church did not. These results challenge several theories of religiosity and suggest that policies or shocks specific to one religious group could have effects on other groups.Citation
Hungerman, Daniel M. 2013. "Substitution and Stigma: Evidence on Religious Markets from the Catholic Sex Abuse Scandal." 蝌蚪网 Journal: Economic Policy 5 (3): 227–53. DOI: 10.1257/pol.5.3.227Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D64 Altruism; Philanthropy
- Z12 Cultural Economics: Religion