Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Pre-reformation roots of the protestant ethic

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Barnebeck Andersen, Thomas , Bentzen, Jeanet , Dalgaard , Carl-Johan and Sharp, Paul (2013) Pre-reformation roots of the protestant ethic. Working Paper. Coventry, UK: Department of Economics, University of Warwick. CAGE Online Working Paper Series, Volume 2013 (Number 137).

[img]
Preview
Text (Working paper)
WRAP_137_2013_andersen.pdf - Published Version

Download (1392Kb) | Preview
Official URL: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/resear...

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

We hypothesize that cultural appreciation of hard work and thrift, the Protestant ethic according
to Max Weber, had a pre-Reformation origin. The proximate source of these values was, according to
the proposed theory, the Catholic Order of Cistercians. In support, we first document an impact from
the Order on growth within the epicenter of the industrial revolution; English counties that were more
exposed to Cistercian monasteries experienced faster productivity growth from the 13th century onwards.
Consistent with a cultural influence, this impact is also found after the monasteries were dissolved in the
1530s. Second, we find that the values emphasized by Weber are relatively more pervasive in European
regions where Cistercian monasteries were located historically, and that the legacy of the Cistercians can
be detected in present-day employment rates across European sub-regions.

Item Type: Working or Discussion Paper (Working Paper)
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Economics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Cistercians, Protestant work ethic -- Great Britain, Reformation -- Early movements
Series Name: CAGE Online Working Paper Series
Publisher: Department of Economics, University of Warwick
Place of Publication: Coventry, UK
Official Date: June 2013
Volume: Volume 2013
Number: Number 137
Number of Pages: 52
Status: Not Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us