Religious Pluralism Leads To Forms Of Spirituality

For the past 20 years, I have been developing what has come to be known as the market theory of religion and society. The initial premise is that “pluralism,” the presence of a variety of differing and competing religious organizations, is the normal state of all societies. Within any society, people always differ substantially in their religious preferences and tastes. Some want quite intense religion, others want very permissive religion or even none, and most want a moderately intense religion.

No single religious organization can meet this diversity, and different organizations will arise to appeal to different tastes. However, even though pluralism is the normal state of a religious economy, it has not been the usual state. Rather, throughout history, most societies have tended toward religious monopolies in which an authorized religious organization, usually subsidized by the state, is the only real option, and potential competitors are suppressed or at least severely handicapped. Full Story

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