Development and Religious Polarization: The Emergence of Reform and Ultra-Orthodox Judaism

Abstract

Jewish emancipation in nineteenth century Europe produced drastically different responses. In Germany, a liberal variant known as Reform developed, while ultra-Orthodox Judaism emerged in eastern Europe. We develop a model of religious organization which explains this polarization. In developed regions, religious authorities embrace the prospect of cultural integration by relaxing prohibitions and benefitting from greater financial contributions. In poorer regions, religious authorities adopt a strategy of cultural resistance, enforcing prohibitions to elicit greater contributions of effort. In regions of intermediate development, religious schisms and cycles occur. This analytic narrative sheds light on how economic development can lead to cultural change.

Endogenous Group Formation via Unproductive Costs

“…They have invoked the theory to better account for the demographic characteristics of conservative denominations (Iannaccone, 1994), the commitment strategies of successful communes (Sosis, 2000), the high rates of giving among sect members (James and Sharpe, 2007), the global growth of Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Evangelical Protestants, and Islam (Stark and Iannaccone, 1997; Chen, 2010; Hanson and Xiang, 2011), the appeal of Christianity over Greco-Roman paganism (Stark, 1996), the emergence of Reform and Ultra-Orthodox Judaism (Koyama and Carvalho, 2011), the decline of liberalAmerican Protestantism (Finke and Stark, 1992), and much more. In other studies, sacrifice links a variety of religious and political-economic outcomes.…”

Underground COVID-19 Home Hospitals for Haredim: Non-Compliance or a Culturally Adapted Alternative to Public Hospitalization?

“…The Haredi minority's response to the threats of infection may stem from its hierarchical decision-making processes (Koyama & Carvalho, 2011), its spatial attributes of living (Friedman, 1991), the struggle of its leaders to control the dissemination of information to community members (Stern, 2020), the clashes between social distancing and communal traditions (Donin, 2019;Pirutinsky et al, 2020, and the tensions and distrust between the health authorities and the community (Stern, 2020).…”