BACKGROUND Traditionally, research into contemporary economic development has taken
a primarily ahistorical approach. The study of the past was relegated to the separate field of …

This article reviews the growing economics literature that studies the politico-economic
impacts of heterogeneity in moral boundaries across individuals and cultures. The so-called …

How did Christianity expand in Africa to become the continent's dominant religion? Using
annual panel census data on Christian missions from 1751 to 1932 in Ghana, and pre-1924 …

Social science research has stressed the important role of religion in sustaining cooperation
among non-kin. We contribute to this multidisciplinary literature with a large-scale empirical …

We argue that colonial Christian missions had a long-term impact on anti-gay attitudes in
Africa. We use a geo-coded representative survey of African countries and the location of …

What are the origins of differences in the pace of the demographic transition across African
societies, and how do these differences affect economic development? We address this …

Do Protestant missionaries affect community cohesion? This study puts forth two
mechanisms that link missionaries to trusting, cooperative community life: pro-social …

This paper explores an empirical puzzle: individuals in urban DR Congo who were unsure if
they would be able to provide sufficient food for their families gave more of their money away …

Cultural beliefs usually evolve slowly, but during times of religious revival, beliefs change
rapidly. During the two-year Welsh Revival of 1904-5, roughly 6% of the adult population …

Inmates' informal code often ascribes low status to persons perceived as passive
homosexuals. We investigate whether prisons contribute to homophobia in the general …