The Cult of Martyrs

Abstract

This article suggests a rational explanation for extreme voluntary sacrifice in situations in which the state of the world when the decision must be made is observable only by the agent. Such explanation is the cult of martyrs, heroes, and saints. This cult may get out of control and fuel fanaticism, or excessive sacrifice from the standpoint of the sponsoring organization. A survey of the historical evidence of Christian martyrdom strongly suggests that martyrs were driven by the expectation of a cult in this world, not by otherworldly rewards. In particular, it is argued that the evidence of excess martyrdom in both Muslim Spain and the Roman Empire strongly speaks for the cult theory.

Jihad Against Palestinians? The Herostratos Syndrome and the Paradox of Targeting European Jews

“…The ideal solution would be to track down and strike at the killer's following, since this is a kind of cult that perpetuates the memory of the martyr. But unlike the cult of martyrs analyzed in Ferrero (2013), in which the followers praise, cherish and remember the martyr because in their eyes he or she was extraordinarily "good", here they remember him because he was extraordinarily "bad"; so whereas in the "good" case heaping shame and ridicule on the martyr and turning the followers' devotion away from it might work, here, paradoxically, one would have to counter the voluntarily chosen shame by publicly arguing that the act was not so bad after all -a prospect that cannot even be seriously entertained. Furthermore, as the American TV serial The Following nicely illustrates, persecuting the cult may even have the perverse effect of thrilling the followers and galvanizing them into action, in imitation of their hero.…”

“…Improving the social lot of all the Muslim residents of Europe, while worthwhile in itself, does not look very much on target. The approach initiated by Azam (2005), Wintrobe (2006), Ferrero (2006Ferrero ( , 2013, and pursued further in this paper, seeks to address individuals' incentives to act, aiming at certain types of individuals and trying to change their perceived costs and benefits from action.…”

The Emperor’s New Mind: On Constantine’s I Decision to Legalize Christianity

“…I believe that Constantine I did make the right strategic move here by encircling the ruler's authority with the moral values of the Christian Church, so the citizens view the Emperor standing right in the middle of this new and unprecedented "painting" of moral values. On the other hand, Christian religious signaling in the form of martyrdom during the first three centuries created a potent source of intergenerational investment on moral values that could not be ignored [Ferrero (2006) and Ferrero (2013)]. Neither the already existing organizational structure of the Christian Church throughout the Eastern Empire could be ignored, as Christian Bishops were in a good position to administrate substantially large areas.…”

Economics of Religion and its Relevance for Economists in Central Europe

“…Tématem je například organizace klášterů (Inauen et al, 2010), papežství (Ault et al, 1987), odpustky (Cassone a Marchese, 1999) nebo kanonizace svatých (Ferrero, 2002;Barro a McCleary, 2011). Významnou a v posledních letech rostoucí oblastí zájmu je mučednictví a terorizmus (Iannaccone, 2006;Iannaccone a Berman, 2006;Ferrero, 2006Ferrero, , 2010. Na základě ekonomické analýzy chování teroristů se výzkumníci snaží formulovat doporučení pro boj s terorizmem.…”