Pre-Reformation Roots of the Protestant Ethic

TY - JOUR

T1 - Pre-Reformation Roots of the Protestant Ethic

AU - Andersen, Thomas B.

AU - Bentzen, Jeanet Sinding

AU - Dalgaard, Carl-Johan Lars

AU - Sharp, Paul

N1 - JEL Classification codes: N13; O11; Z12

PY - 2017/9

Y1 - 2017/9

N2 - We hypothesise that cultural appreciation of hard work and thrift, the Protestant ethic according to Max Weber, had a pre-Reformation origin: the Catholic Order of Cistercians. In support, we document an impact from the Order on growth within the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution; English counties that were more exposed to Cistercian monasteries experienced faster productivity growth from the 13th century onwards. Consistent with a cultural influence, this impact is also found after the monasteries were dissolved in the 1530s. Moreover, the values emphasised by Weber are relatively more pervasive in European regions where Cistercian monasteries were located historically.

AB - We hypothesise that cultural appreciation of hard work and thrift, the Protestant ethic according to Max Weber, had a pre-Reformation origin: the Catholic Order of Cistercians. In support, we document an impact from the Order on growth within the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution; English counties that were more exposed to Cistercian monasteries experienced faster productivity growth from the 13th century onwards. Consistent with a cultural influence, this impact is also found after the monasteries were dissolved in the 1530s. Moreover, the values emphasised by Weber are relatively more pervasive in European regions where Cistercian monasteries were located historically.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - N13

KW - O11

KW - Z12

U2 - 10.1111/ecoj.12367

DO - 10.1111/ecoj.12367

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0013-0133

VL - 127

SP - 1756

EP - 1793

JO - The Economic Journal

JF - The Economic Journal

IS - 604

ER -