The Political Economy of Indo-European Polytheism: How to Deal with Too Many Gods

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Mario Ferrero

The Political Economy of Indo-European Polytheism

How to Deal with Too Many Gods

Mario Ferrero

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Hardback

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English

Springer Nature Switzerland AG
24 April 2022

Literary studies: classical, early & medieval; Classical history & classical civilisation; Comparative religion; Political economy; Welfare economics

Series: Contributions to Economics

This book sheds new light on the evolution and transformation of polytheistic religions. By applying economic models to the study of religious history and by viewing religious events as the result of rational choices under given environmental constraints, it offers a political economy perspective for the study of Indo-European polytheism. The book formally models the rivalry or competition among multiple gods in a polytheistic system and the monotheistic solution to this competition. Presenting case studies on the transformation and demise of various polytheistic religions, it highlights the pivotal role of the priestly class in driving religious change and suggests a joint explanation for the demise of Greco-Roman religion and the resilience of Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. It will appeal to scholars of the economics of religion and religious history and to anyone seeking new insights into the birth and death of religions, and the birth of monotheism in particular.

By: Mario Ferrero
Imprint: Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Country of Publication: Switzerland
Edition: 2022 ed.
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 155mm,
Weight: 471g
ISBN: 9783030979423
ISBN 10: 3030979423
Series: Contributions to Economics
Pages: 188
Publication Date: 24 April 2022
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Mario Ferrero is an economist specializing in comparative economic systems, political economy, conflict, terrorism, and religion. In the past twenty years, he has focused on important problems of religious history, including the birth of Christianity, the Catholic Church, and the Reformation, Islam, and polytheism. He has published widely in academic journals and edited volumes.

Reviews for The Political Economy of Indo-European Polytheism: How to Deal with Too Many Gods

“The work under review sets out to bring an economist’s perspective to a subject hitherto dominated by philologists and scholars of the region. The author’s ambition is to compare the ways in which polytheistic developed separately in different Indo-European traditions; more specifically, to use political economy theory ... . Ferrero's arguments … are in general stimulating and add some refreshing new perspectives, and it is to be hoped that his work will inspire more efforts in the same direction.” (Per-Johan Norelius, The Journal of Indo-European Studies, Vol. 51 (1-2), 2023)