BY: EDWARD L. GLAESER
Harvard University
Department of Economics
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
BRUCE SACERDOTE
Dartmouth College
Department of Economics
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), at New
York
Document: Available from the SSRN Electronic Paper Collection:
http://papers.ssrn.com/paper.taf?abstract_id=263258
Paper ID: Harvard Institute of Economic Research Paper No. 1913
Date: January 2001
Contact: EDWARD L. GLAESER
Email: Mailto:eglaeser at harvard.edu
Postal: Harvard University
Department of Economics
Room 315A
Littauer Center
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
Phone: 617-495-0575
Fax: 617-495-8570
Co-Auth: BRUCE SACERDOTE
Email: Mailto:Bruce.Sacerdote at dartmouth.edu
Postal: Dartmouth College
Department of Economics
6106 Rockefeller Hall
Hanover, NH 03755 USA
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ABSTRACT:
In the United States, religious attendance rises sharply with
education across individuals, but religious attendance declines
sharply with education across denominations. This puzzle is
explained if education both increases the returns to social
connection and reduces the extent of religious belief. The
positive effect of education on sociability explains the
positive education-religion relationship. The negative effect of
education on religious belief causes more educated individuals
to sort into less fervent religions, which explains the negative
relationship between education and religion across
denominations. Cross-country differences in the impact of
education on religious belief can explain the large
cross-country variation in the education-religion connection.
These cross-country differences in the education-belief
relationship can be explained by political factors (such as
communism) which lead some countries to use state-controlled
education to discredit religion.