Faith and Money
How Religion Contributes to Wealth and Poverty

This book explores the way religious orientations and beliefs affect Americans' incomes, savings and net worth.

Lisa A. Keister (Author)

9780521896511, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 5 September 2011

254 pages, 1 b/w illus. 58 tables
23.5 x 15.8 x 1.9 cm, 0.47 kg

'This book is engagingly written with evidence to substantiate each claim. Undergraduate and graduate students will find [it] very insightful, as well as policy makers who are interested in gaining an understanding of not only the economic parity, but also the religious implications of the differentiation in wealth ownership.' Elijah Obinna, Religion

For those who own it, wealth can have extraordinary advantages. High levels of wealth can enhance educational attainment, create occupational opportunities, generate social influence and provide a buffer against financial emergencies. Even a small amount of savings can improve security, mitigate the effects of job loss and other financial setbacks and improve well-being dramatically. Although the benefits of wealth are significant, they are not enjoyed uniformly throughout the United States. In the United States, because religion is an important part of cultural orientation, religious beliefs should affect material well-being. This book explores the way religious orientations and beliefs affect Americans' incomes, savings and net worth.

1. Religion and wealth
2. Family and human capital processes
3. Works, occupation, and income
4. Wealth I: new worth and real assets
5. Wealth II: financial assets, liabilities, and multivariate models
6. Upward mobility and assimilation
7. Notable achievement
8. A truly complex relationship
9. Conclusion: how much is enough?

Subject Areas: Labour economics [KCF], Sociology [JHB], Religious groups: social & cultural aspects [JFSR], Religion & politics [HRAM2]