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Description
For centuries following the spread of Islam, the Middle East was far ahead of Europe. Yet, the modern economy was born in Europe. Why was it not born in the Middle East? In this book Jared Rubin examines the role that Islam played in this reversal of fortunes. It argues that the religion itself is not to blame; the importance of religious legitimacy in Middle Eastern politics was the primary culprit. Muslim religious authorities were given an important seat at the political bargaining table, which they used to block important advancements such as the printing press and lending at interest. In Europe, however, the Church played a weaker role in legitimizing rule, especially where Protestantism spread (indeed, the Reformation was successful due to the spread of printing, which was blocked in the Middle East). It was precisely in those Protestant nations, especially England and the Dutch Republic, where the modern economy was born.
ISBN
9781108400053
Publication Date
3-2017
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
City
New York, NY
Disciplines
Christianity | Economic History | European Languages and Societies | History of Christianity | History of Religions of Western Origin | Islamic Studies | Near and Middle Eastern Studies | Other Economics | Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures | Other Religion | Other Sociology | Place and Environment | Politics and Social Change | Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion | Sociology of Culture | Sociology of Religion
Recommended Citation
Rubin, J. (2017). Rulers, religion, and riches: Why the west got rich and the Middle East did not. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Copyright
The author
Included in
Christianity Commons, Economic History Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, History of Christianity Commons, History of Religions of Western Origin Commons, Islamic Studies Commons, Near and Middle Eastern Studies Commons, Other Economics Commons, Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures Commons, Other Religion Commons, Other Sociology Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Sociology of Religion Commons
Comments
The file above includes the introduction to Rulers, Religion, and Riches: Why the West Got Rich and the Middle East Did Not. Please visit your local library or purchase the book through the "Buy This Book" link above to read the full text.