The prophet motive
Publication Details
Lamont, J.
(2010).
The prophet motive.
First Things, April (202), 21-24.
Abstract
Because the new school of sociologists of religion has borrowed ideas from the rational-choice theories of economics, it has been dubbed the "rational choice" school. In Europe, by contrast, churches maintained an established or quasi-established status until the twentieth century, which resulted in steadily diminishing attendance. Because it offers a good explanation for American religious exceptionalism, Finke and Stark's market model represents a considerable achievement.
