Typologies of religious market model: an economic approach to religion

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the economic approach to religion and suggest a new frame for the religious market model. In religious studies, various approaches have been attempted, for example anthropology, sociology and psychology. Recently, some sociologists and economists have started to observe the marketization of religion and to explain religious phenomena or behaviours <br/>from an economic perspective. Based on this economic approach to religion, they have made it possible to explain not only marketization of religion but also religious revival in a secular and modern period. In spite of their great contributions to the formation of a new paradigm in religious studies, however, the economic approach to religion has been criticized for its reductionist methodology and basic assumptions. In addition, this approach has been questioned about its main theory, the religious market model. Some people assume that this model can be applied only to a free market situation in the modern period; others assume that it is applicable only to specially secularized regions, such as the U.S. or U.K. Nevertheless, the previous model has often shown some limitations because of the narrow understanding of the religious market. After all, these limitations have left economists of religion unable to explain more diverse religious contexts. Given these considerations, this thesis concludes that the existing religious market model needs to be more comprehensively updated. Therefore, in order to enhance the applicability of <br/>the economic approach to religion, I suggest new typologies of the religious economic system, religious market, and religious market structure. Then I examine how they can be applied in an actual religious marketplace through specific cases in South Korea.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctor of Theology and Ministry

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral Thesis

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

King's College London

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Kim, Yoon Tae

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Vinzent, Markus
• Janz, Paul Dwight

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

oai:kclpure.kcl.ac.uk:studenttheses/3105c17b-411e-4dc6-a1e2-7224c2563c2e

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kclpure.kcl.ac.uk:studenttheses/3105c17b-411e-4dc6-a1e2-7224c2563c2e