We provide an account of how Protestantism promoted economic prosperity in China—a country Weber ruled out for the development of Protestantism and capitalism. Using prefectural-level data from 1840-1920, a period when China was forced to open up to the West and experienced an early phase of capitalist development, we exploit the outcome of the Boxer Uprising to identify the causal effect of th...

This special issue seeks to expand the intellectual landscape of English Protestantism over course its long Reformation from early sixteenth through late seventeenth centuries. England's protracted conflict Protestant identity encouraged diversification orientations sacred texts and religious traditions, stretching it beyond western Europe eastern Mediterranean world. The essays examine engagem...

Despite the pervasiveness of Catholicism among Latinos, studies reveal an increasing shift toward Protestantism. Examining the relationship between religion and ethnicity, we explore homeland language use as a core ethnic marker using a survey from the Pew Hispanic Center. Results reveal that Catholic Latinos are significantly more likely to use Spanish at home, even after controlling for other...

Few studies in the social sciences have spurred more controversy than Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. At the core of Weber’s theory lies a connection between Protestantism and attitudes toward work. Using micro-data from contemporary Germany, this paper investigates the impact of Protestantism on economic outcomes and whether any such connection still exists. To b...