Religions and Economics

C.K.ChengJan 10, 2009

Disclaimers

• The gap between the breadth of the subject and the limit of my knowledge is enormously huge.

• The complexity of the subject may make any perspective oversimplified.

• Some of the information may not be factual, some may not be consistent, partly due to the nature of ambiguity of social phenomenon

Topics

• Religious Teachings on Economics– Buddhism , Christian, Islam

• The interplay of Religion, Politics, and Economics• Case Studies• The Reality Check• Food for Thoughts

《雜阿含經》卷四十八

「始學工巧業，方便集財物， 得彼財物已，當應作四分， 一分自食用，二分營生業， 餘一分藏密，以擬於貧乏。」

中阿含善生經

先當習伎藝，然後獲財業，財業既已具，宜當自守護。出財未至奢，當撰擇前人，欺誑觝突者，寧乞未舉與。積財從小起，如蜂集眾花，財寶日滋息，至終無損耗。一食知止足，二修業勿怠，三當先儲積，以擬於空乏，四耕田商賈，澤地而置牧，五當起塔廟，六立僧房舍。在家勤六業，善修勿失時，如是修業者，則家無損減，財寶日滋長，如海吞眾流。

Alms, Offerings, and Tithes in Christianity

• Almes – given to benefit the poor– Giving out of love not duty– Giving out of what is inside

• Offering – gifts brought to God• Tithes - "He gives unto us, we give back to Him

one-tenth of all that He has blessed us with.“– Practices of tithe mentioned both in Old and New Testaments– In Mid Ages, tithe was adopted as a tax paid to the local parish

church, which was granted the right from local government

Church Tax in Modern World

• Germany – 8-9% of income tax (voluntary). 70% of church revenue comes from church tax ($7.5B in 2002).

• Italy – 0.8% of income tax (voluntary)• Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, etc. adopt certain

form of voluntary church tax, or even culture tax

Islam Practices

• 5 Pillars– Declaration of faith (Shahadah, 唸 )– Daily prayers (Salah,禮 )– Annual charity (Zakat,課 )– Month-long fasting (Ramadan) (Sawm, 齋 )– Pilgrimage to Mecca ( Hajj, 朝 )

Zakāh "alms for the poor"• "Alms are only for the poor and the needy, and the officials

(appointed) over them, and …" • Purposes

– For the giver:• fulfilling the important religious obligation• purifying themselves from their greed and selfishness

– For the recipient:• purifies the person who receives it because it saves him from the humiliation

of begging and prevents him from envying the rich• How much Zakah to pay?

– 2.5 % annual savings – 5 % agriculture of a farmer who is planting and irrigating with his own

money. – 10% of a farmer's product if it is being irrigated by rain– 20% on resources like oil or precious metals (i.e. gold, silver)

Interest (Riba) in Islam

• Interest is prohibited by Islamic law• Instead of charging interest, Islamic banks use the following

practices– Profit sharing– Leasing– Cost plus (rent-to-own)– Joint venture– Safekeeping and gift (bank voluntarily gives to their customer for

deposit)

Topics

• Religious Teachings on Economics– Buddhism , Christian, Islam

• The interplay of Religion, Politics, and Economics• Case Studies• The Reality Check• Food for Thoughts

文明的結構

宗教

種族、語言、國家

經濟、政治

藝術

佛教之政經教關係

宗教

政治

經濟

基督教之政經教關係

宗教政治

經濟

伊斯蘭教之政經教關係

政治

宗教

經濟

Topics

• Religious Teachings on Economics– Buddhism , Christian, Islam

• The interplay of Religion, Politics, and Economics• Case Studies• The Reality Check• Food for Thoughts

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

• Written by Max Weber in 1905• The Protestant Ethic

– Church does not provide salvation– Self-confidence takes the place of God’s grace– Worldly success becomes one measure of self-confidence

• Spirit of Capitalism– Capitalistic economic activities test one’s inner resources and then

affirm his moral worth– Entrepreneur performs his task with an earnestness of purpose, and

endow them with intrinsic dignity– The possessor of money has a steward’s obligation toward his

possession

Christianity in UK• Great Charter (1215) requires English King to abide by law• Martin Luther, a German monk, wrote The 95 Theses in 1517, that

started the Protestantism• Owing to his struggle with Roman Pope about his marriage, Henry

VIII started English Reformation (1533-1540) and became Supreme Head of the Church of England

• British East India Company was founded in 1600, dissolved in 1874• Many protestant denominations originated in UK from 1650 - 1900:

Methodist, Quaker, Baptist, Salvation Army , Presbytarian• Watt patented the design of steam engine in 1769 that propelled

the Industrial Revolution• Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations in 1776, started the

era of Classic Capitalism

西藏簡史• 松贊干布 (AD 604-650) 統一西藏高原，遷都拉薩，完善藏文，迎娶文

成公主，建立奴隸制的吐蕃王朝。 • 蓮花生大士 AD762 由印入藏，開藏傳密宗紅教• 薩迦派五祖八思巴 (1235-1280) 受識於忽必烈，封為帝師，西藏納入

元朝版圖• 宗喀巴 (1357-1419) 創藏密黃教，其徒成為班禪一世，徒孫成達賴一

世• 1618 年達賴五世制訂《十三法典》﹐嚴格區分等級貴賤• 1718 年及 1720 年，清朝兩次出兵西藏，驅逐蒙古軍隊• 1888 年、 1903 年，英國兩次入侵西藏，與西藏地方政府官員簽訂

《拉薩條約》。

Brief History of Cathedral Notre Dame• 1163 – Bishop de Sully of Paris, with the support from King Louis VII,

starts to build a cathedral to match Paris. It was completed in 1345.• 1185 - Heraclius of Caesarea calls for the Third Crusade from the still-

incomplete cathedral• 1239 – The Crown of Thorns is placed in the cathedral• 1302 - Philip the Fair opens the first States- General• 1431 – Henry VI of England is crowned King of France• 1572 – Henry IV, a Protestant, married his queen and later converted to

Catholicism• 1793 – During French revolution, the cathedral was redirected to the Cult

of Reason, then to the Cult of the Supreme Being.• December 2, 1804 – the coronation ceremony of Napoleon I , with Pope

Pius VII officiating.• 1845 – A major restoration is launched after Hugo’s Popular “Hunchback

of Notre Dame”

敦煌莫高窟簡史• 前秦建元二年 (AD366)沙門樂尊始建第一窟，以供禪修• 歷經千年逐洞修建，現存壁畫術塑像者共 492窟，其中唐朝修建者計

247窟• 洞窟初期功用為供僧人修行，後來成為寺廟• 出資修建者多為當地軍旅仕商、往來商賈，目的在消災祈福• 敦煌壁畫記錄千年中土及西域美術、建築、宗教、人文、風俗史料• 藏經洞五萬卷文獻記載公元 5 至 11 世紀宗教思想、文化生活• 莫高窟為一完全被宮廷忽視的平民佛教文化

Topics

• Religious Teachings on Economics– Buddhism , Christian, Islam

• The interplay of Religion, Politics, and Economics• Case Studies• The Reality Check• Food for Thoughts

World Population of Religions

1900 1980 2000Population (Millions)

西方基督教 26.9 30 29.9 1,973

正統基督教 7.5 2.8 2.4 158

依斯蘭教 12.4 16.5 19.2 1,267

無宗教信仰 0.2 16.4 17.1 1,129

印度教 12.5 13.3 13.7 904

佛教 7.8 6.3 5.7 376

中國民間信仰 23.5 4.5 2.5 165

部落的宗教 6.6 2.1 1.6 106

無神論 0 4.5 4.2 277

US Population of ReligionsChristian 78.50%

Protestant 51.30%Roman Catholic 23.90%Mormon 1.70%Other Christian 1.60%

Unaffilaited 12.10%None 4%Others or unspecified 3%Jewish 1.70%Buddhist 0.70%Muslim 0.60%

Buddhism Nations % of

Population as Buddhists

Buddhist Population

Thailand 95% 55,480,000Cambodia 90% 9,130,000Myanmar 88% 41,610,000Bhutan 75%Sri Lanka 70% 12,540,000Tibet 65% 1,703,000 Laos 60%Vietnam 55% 49,690,000Japan 50% 89,650,000Macau 45%Taiwan 43% 9,150,000

China 102,000,000India 7,000,000South Korea 10,920,000

Total 388,873,000

Civilizations and Religions

Rostovanyi 7 Comtemporary

CivilizationsMax Weber 6 religions

China ConfucianismIndia HinduismEurope ChristianAmerica *Mestizo South America *Arab IslamAfrica

BuddhismJudaism

Topics

• Religious Teachings on Economics– Buddhism , Christian, Islam

• The interplay of Religion, Politics, and Economics• Case Studies• The Reality Check• Food for Thoughts

Food for Thought

• Religion and Economics – cause or effect?• How should a Buddhist live in a capitalistic society?• How should a Buddhist live in a Christian society?• Is a poor country a “bad” country?• “Individual freedom and development” vs.

“Collective sharing and equality”