Open AccessAdopting a New Religion: the Case of Protestantism in 16th Century Germany *
Author(s) -
Cantoni Davide
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the economic journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.683
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1468-0297
pISSN - 0013-0133
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0297.2012.02495.x
Subject(s) - protestantism , faith , neighbourhood (mathematics) , empire , state (computer science) , sociology , panel data , roman empire , martin luther , economic history , economic geography , political science , religious studies , economy , history , political economy , geography , economics , law , ancient history , theology , philosophy , econometrics , mathematical analysis , mathematics , algorithm , computer science
Using a dataset of territories and cities of the Holy Roman Empire in the sixteenth century, this article investigates the determinants of adoption and diffusion of Protestantism as a state religion. A territory's distance to Wittenberg, the city where Martin Luther taught, is a major determinant of adoption. This finding is consistent with a theory of strategic neighbourhood interactions: introducing the Reformation was a risky enterprise for territorial lords and had higher prospects of success if powerful neighbouring states committed to the new faith. The actual spatial and temporal patterns of expansion of Protestantism are analysed in a panel dataset.