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Abstract
This paper starts from the perspective that giving meaning to life is a key function of religion: through its narratives, rituals, creeds, and practices, religion clothes life in a meaningful frame. Interestingly, though, meaning of life has not yet appeared in studies on the relation between religion and economic behavior. As meaning of life may prove to be a crucial factor in understanding this relation, this paper seeks to develop a new approach to understanding the link between religion and economic behavior from the viewpoint of meaning of life.
Notes
While some authors have claimed that the influence of religion in society is destined to fade away (Berger 1967; Bruce 2002), religion remains an important factor, both in the private and public sphere (Berger 1999; Casanova 1994; Stark 1999).
Of course, the function of religion can be understood in many other ways as well, such as the traditional anthropological and sociological viewpoints of providing “social cohesion” (Durkheim 2001) or a “work ethic” (Weber 2001). In this article, we use “meaning of life” as a concept that can offer new perspectives on the relation between economics and religion.
Theoretically, pain and unpleasant experiences can—although in a paradoxical sense—be understood as generating utility as well. But, as Karlsson et al. indicate, “…this paradox only reveals the skeleton in the closet: the concept of utility is irrefutable and, hence, vacuous” (2002: 71).