Vanyukova I.A. The influence of religious values on the economy and its development

Introduction

Chapter I. General characteristics of world religions in the modern world

1.1 Religion

1.2 Types of religions

1.3 The influence of religion on various areas of life

Chapter II. The influence of religion on the economies of individual countries of the world

2.2 Russia

2.3 Japan

Conclusion

List of used literature

Application

religion Christianity economics creed

Introduction

By the end of the second millennium of modern civilization, all five billion people living on earth believe. Some believe in God, others believe that He does not exist; people believe in progress, justice, reason. Faith is the most important part of a person’s worldview, his life position, belief, ethical and moral rule, norm and custom, according to which - more precisely, within which - he lives: acts, thinks and feels.

Observing and comprehending the world and himself in it, man realized that he was surrounded not by chaos, but by an ordered universe, obeying the so-called laws of nature. It did not require special insight to understand: man cannot change these laws or establish others. The best minds at all times have struggled with the attempt to unravel the mystery and meaning of life on earth, to find that faceless, mysterious force that reveals its presence in the world through the connection of things and phenomena; it was she who singled out the man from natural world. To designate this power, man has come up with thousands of names, but their essence is the same - this is God.

At this stage of our development, there are many religions and religious institutions. But they all affect various spheres of human life and activity. Historians, political scientists, and economists interpret religion as one of the factors determining the success or failure of various societies. Many scientists these days are studying the influence of religion on humans, including economic activity.

The connection between religion and human economic activity has existed since ancient times. Religion has had and is having an active impact on the behavior of believers in the sphere of economics and production, on their attitude towards work. This is evidenced by the experience of all world religions. Economic success was achieved by those societies and countries where various religions, with their specific means, stimulated economic activity, creating the appropriate moral background, work ethic and moral standards. She can prohibit her followers from cheating and breaking promises, which, it would seem, should contribute to the development of the economy: merchants will not overcharge and shortchange, debtors will not hide from creditors. At the same time, this same religion can declare enrichment sinful and elevate humility of the flesh to the highest ideal. In general, there is a huge scope for interpretation of what real Catholic, Muslim, Orthodox, and Jewish values are.

There are many studies on how religion affects the economy. Cross-country comparisons show that, firstly, the religiosity of citizens (for example, the frequency of church attendance) has a beneficial effect on economic development, and secondly, that this effect manifests itself differently for different religions. It is assumed that religious values, like belonging to a particular religion in general, are something unchangeable, one of the basic components of our identity. In history, however, there have been cases of mass changes in religious affiliation, for example, the Reformation in Europe or the mass conversion to Christianity of residents of territories colonized by Europeans in Africa, Latin America, and Siberia. One way or another, at the everyday level we mean that if a person grew up, for example, in a Muslim family, then no matter what he does - he stopped going to the mosque, received a secular education, moved to another city - his value system is the same will remain Muslim.

So, the purpose of my work is to test the relationship between the religiosity of the population and their attitude to new economic values, using the example of the attitude of believers to the organization of labor and important aspects of this area human activity. I can find out whether there is a relationship between faith and new values, using the example of another sphere. In addition, I have to find out the correctness of the premise that believers mainly represent a socially disadvantaged segment of the population.

My goal thus breaks down into three tasks:

1. Check whether the religiosity of the population and attitude towards new economic values are connected in the sphere of work.

2. Check whether religiosity and a person’s social status are connected.

Analyze literature and sources on this topic.

I will then give examples of various countries where economic development has been influenced by religion.

The object of my work is religion, and the subject is the dependence of the economy on religion. The work consists of an introduction, 2 chapters, a conclusion and an appendix.

Chapter I. General characteristics of world religions in the modern world

1.1 Religion

Religion is one of the forms of social consciousness, conditioned by belief in the existence of the supernatural (in a supernatural force or personality). This faith is the main feature and element of any religion that believers represent.

Attitudes towards wealth, wealth and financial stability V different countries ah different. Economists note that the standard of living in “Protestant” countries is higher than in states with the Orthodox tradition. Let's try to understand the reasons.

Statistics about religions

The question of the harmful influence of the Orthodox religion on the economy and, conversely, beneficial for cash flows attitudes of Protestantism, became especially acute in our country after the famous statement of presenter Vladimir Pozner, who quoted Chaadaev, saying that “one of the greatest tragedies for Russia is the adoption of Orthodoxy.” An alternative, in his opinion, can be the example of Protestants, since it is in those countries where this religion is widespread that the most efficient economies are. The Orthodox accepted this thesis with hostility. But what do official statistics say about this?

The first position in the ranking of countries by nominal GDP in 2013 is occupied by a predominantly Protestant country - the United States with an indicator of 16,800 billion dollars. Among the countries in the top twenty by share of GDP per capita as of 2013, Norway, Switzerland, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, Sweden and Canada, for a total of eight countries, are primarily Protestant. At the same time, there is not a single Orthodox country in the top twenty. So what's the deal? Should we trust the statistics, or is it necessary to find out the deeper reasons for such a positive impact of Protestantism on the economy? Is it possible that coincidences of this kind are random? To answer these questions, we will characterize Protestantism and the internal prerequisites for influencing the economy.

Religion and Economics

The word Protestantism comes, according to one version, from the Latin protestans - publicly declaring, as supporters of the Reformation protested against the persecution of Lutherans. According to another version, “Protestant” comes from the phrase pro testament - for the Testament, that is, for the purity of perception of the Holy Scriptures. Having become the result of the struggle against the outdated views of Catholicism, Protestantism quickly spread throughout Europe during the Reformation, and since the 16th century it has become the leading world religion.

Protestantism includes many denominations, such as Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Evangelical followers, Adventists, Baptists, Methodists and others. Some researchers also include Mormon sectarians and Jehovah's Witnesses among them. All these different branches of Protestantism are characterized by a denial of the interpretation of the Bible, icons, monasticism, and the cult of saints.

The connection between the Protestant religion and high economic indicators began to be traditionally made after the publication of M. Weber’s fundamental work “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,” published in 1905. The scientist drew attention to the fact that the successes of the development of European civilization were most often associated with precisely the type of mentality that the Protestants brought into the cultural field. The Protestant work ethic is a religious doctrine that speaks of the goodness of work and the need to work honestly and diligently. Even in the Bible, Protestants find the basics of the labor code: phrases such as “Do not offend your neighbor and do not steal. The employee’s payment should not remain with you until the morning,” in their opinion, are a clear statement of the agreement between the employer and the employee.

Weber operated with specific facts, and in addition to citing the example of well-developed Protestant countries, the USA, England and Holland, he showed by the example of Germany, where both Catholics and Protestants are equally common, that it is the latter who make up the bulk of entrepreneurs or well-trained professionals. It was the zeal and rationalization of work, characteristic of Protestants of any social class, that, according to Weber, became the reasons for the development of capitalism. Since for Protestants work and commerce are not only economically profitable activities, but also virtues, their economy grew faster. Thus, the desire to make good money and create a profitable business was perceived by Protestants as fulfilling a divine duty. If income increases and wealth grows, it is a sign of blessing.

At the same time, luxury from the point of view of Protestantism is meaningless - after all, profitability is in itself God's grace. Weber wrote about this: “If God shows you this path, following which you can without harming your soul and without harming others, in a legal way earn more than in any other way, and you reject this and choose a less profitable path, then you thereby hinder one of the purposes of your calling, you refuse to be a steward of God and accept his gifts in order to be able to use them on It is good for Him when He wills it. Not for the pleasures of the flesh and sinful joys, but for God you should work and become rich.”

Thus, the focus not on instant income, but on a slow but sure approach to wealth as God’s grace, becomes one of the main attitudes of Protestantism.

Thanks to the introduction of Protestantism or its value categories, according to Weber's theory, a country can improve its economic indicators. For example, in Latin America, more and more people are converting from Catholicism to Protestantism in recent years, and studies show that the standard of living of these people is steadily rising. This is connected, again, with the moral orientation of Protestants towards the goodness of entrepreneurial activity, useful not only in the world, but also for the salvation of the soul.

However, why didn’t the focus on quality labor and capital multiplication arise long before the advent of Protestantism? Weber in his work showed that capitalism could have arisen in antiquity, but it was the early Protestant tradition that contained the foundations of the new ideology, namely the idea of duty, including professional duty, which formed generations of people with a new mentality. Weber, based on statistics, shows that capitalism developed best in Protestant countries, England, Germany and America, whose inhabitants are still famous for their punctuality, frugality and hard work. The mentality remained, but faith gradually became less of a determining factor in economic matters.

Orthodoxy vs Protestantism

If we look at the same GDP per capita statistics for 2013, we will not see a single Orthodox country not only in the top twenty, but also among the top forty countries. Greece is in 43rd place, Russia is in 45th place, Romania and Bulgaria are in 64th and 69th place, respectively. In this case, do we have to draw parallels with the dominant religion in the state and the mentality generated by it? Of course, it is necessary to take into account the historical characteristics of all these countries, but even by considering only mental categories one can discover a lot of interesting things.

Orthodoxy, as the most conservative and orthodox branch of Christianity, did not follow the path of modernization and rationalization that Protestantism chose. If Protestantism condemned the desire to be poor, considering it akin to the desire to be sick, in the Orthodox tradition, material poverty was traditionally opposed to spiritual wealth. Professional duties for a Protestant are a duty both to God and to society, for a Catholic it is atonement for original sin. For an Orthodox Christian, work must first of all be spiritual, and material labor, if it is associated with a thirst for profit or pride, is recognized as vain.

Russian Orthodoxy was also largely associated with its role as the official religion in the harsh conditions of the monarchical system. Thus, the accumulation of spiritual symbolic capital became prevalent for ordinary lay people, and thoughts about material wealth under the conditions of serfdom and the primacy of the state over private entrepreneurial activity were often joyless.

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Introduction

Chapter I. General characteristics of world religions in the modern world

1.1 Religion

1.2 Types of religions

1.3 The influence of religion on various areas of life

Chapter II. The influence of religion on the economies of individual countries of the world

2.2 Russia

2.3 Japan

Conclusion

List of used literature

Application

religion Christianity economics creed

Introduction

Observing and comprehending the world around him and himself in it, man realized that he was surrounded not by chaos, but by an ordered universe, obeying the so-called laws of nature. It did not require special insight to understand: man cannot change these laws or establish others. The best minds at all times have struggled with the attempt to unravel the mystery and meaning of life on earth, to find that faceless, mysterious force that reveals its presence in the world through the connection of things and phenomena; It was she who separated man from the natural world. To designate this power, man has come up with thousands of names, but their essence is one - this is God.

So, the purpose of my work is to test the relationship between the religiosity of the population and their attitude to new economic values, using the example of the attitude of believers to the organization of labor and important aspects of this sphere of human activity. I can find out whether there is a relationship between faith and new values, using the example of another sphere. In addition, I have to find out the correctness of the premise that believers mainly represent a socially disadvantaged segment of the population.

My goal thus breaks down into three tasks:

1. Check whether the religiosity of the population and attitude towards new economic values are connected in the sphere of work.

2. Check whether religiosity and a person’s social status are connected.

3. Analyze literature and sources on this topic.

I will then give examples of various countries where economic development has been influenced by religion.

The object of my work is religion, and the subject is the dependence of the economy on religion. The work consists of an introduction, 2 chapters, a conclusion and an appendix.

ChapterI. General characteristics of world religions in the modern world

1.1 Religion

Religion is one of the forms of social consciousness, conditioned by belief in the existence of the supernatural (in a supernatural force or personality). This faith is the main sign and element of any religion that believers represent.

Religion is a distorted, fantastic reflection of reality. Ideologists are trying to prove that religion is eternal, that religious feeling is inherent in man by nature. In fact, religion arose only at a certain stage in the development of society. The oppression of people by the elemental forces of nature and social oppression, ignorance of the true causes of natural and social phenomena - these are the sources of the emergence of religion.

The most important feature of religion is belief in the supernatural. Being dependent on the forces of nature that dominated them, people endowed them with unearthly qualities - they turned them into gods and spirits, devils and angels. They believed that if they were not appeased, they could cause grief and suffering, and, conversely, if they were appeased and worshiped, they would help people. This is how a religious cult arose - a set of religious actions: prayers, sacrifices, etc. With the emergence of a religious cult, its servants also appeared - priests, shamans, priests, as well as various kinds of religious organizations and institutions.

Today there are a huge number of different religions. All of them are divided into global and national (see Appendix 4). The most common are Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. The most popular religion is Christianity (1.3 billion people). Second place is occupied by Islam (900 million people). The third world religion is Buddhism (400 million people).

As of 2005, more than 54% of believers on Earth are adherents of one of the Abrahamic religions. 33% of them are Christians,

21% are Muslims, 0.2% are Jews. 14% of the planet's inhabitants profess Hinduism, 6% are Buddhists, 6% profess traditional Chinese religions, 0.37% are Sikhs, 7% are adherents of other faiths (see Appendix 3).

1.2 Types of religions

Christianity.

Christianity has three main branches: Catholicism, found mainly in Western Europe and America; Protestantism, main centers in the north of Western Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa; Orthodoxy, professed by the peoples of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece (see Appendix 1).

It arose in Palestine around the personality of Jesus Christ, as a result of his activities, as well as the activities of his closest followers. The time of origin is usually attributed to 33 AD. - the year of Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus Christ was born in the small Palestinian city of Bethlehem. Christians believe that the birth of Jesus took place as a result of the virgin birth through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Nothing is known about most of Jesus' life. The last years of his life are reported in the holy book - the Bible (in its second part - the New Testament). Christianity quickly became widespread. First of all, people were attracted to Christianity by its very high humanistic principles and its appeal to all racial, ethnic and social groups. Later, it was the fact that it was Christian countries that in most cases achieved the most striking successes in their economic, social and cultural development. (3)

Currently, the number of adherents of Christianity throughout the world exceeds 2 billion, of which in Europe - according to various estimates from 400 to 550 million, in Latin America - about 380 million, in North America - 180-250 million (USA - 160-225 million, Canada - 25 million), in Asia - about 300 million, in Africa - 300-400 million, in Australia - 14 million.

The approximate number of adherents of various Christian denominations: Catholics - more than 1 billion, Protestants - about 400 million (including 100 million Pentecostals, 70 million Methodists, 70 million Baptists, 64 million Lutherans, about 75 million Presbyterians and similar movements), Orthodox and adherents of the Ancient Eastern churches ("non-Chalcedonian" churches and Nestorians) - about 240 million, Anglicans - about 70 million, and followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church - 10 million.

Islam.

Islam is divided into two branches: Shiism, whose followers - Shiites live in Iran, partly in Iraq and Yemen; Sunnism - has a much wider distribution - northern Africa, South-West and Central Asia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Russia (see Appendix 2).

Initially, Islam was spread as a religion of Monotheism and taught how to worship Allah. But the foundations of faith have been changed by people over time and have lost their authenticity. Therefore, Allah sent down the last Prophet Muhammad. Through the Prophet Muhammad, the true and perfect religion - Islam, the religion of all Prophets - was again transmitted to all people. Muhammad is the last Prophet to spread the religion of Islam. Islam consists of 5 pillars, 3 regulations and 9 prohibitions. Holy book - Koran.

In today's world, almost every fifth person professes Islam. Over the past 50 years, the world's Muslim population has increased by 235% and currently stands at 1.6 billion. There are 16 million Muslims living in Russia. The number of Muslims by country is distributed as follows: USA - 7 million, Indonesia - 182.2 million, Pakistan - 146.9 million, Bangladesh - 116.0 million, India - 109.6 million, Iran - 63.9 million.

Buddhism.

Distributed in Central and Southeast Asia. According to the Pali and Sanskrit traditions, the founder of this religion is Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama Shakya Muni), who lived on earth for about 80 years and went into “parinirvana” (final liberation from further rebirths) in 554 BC.

Buddhism is a religion of overcoming suffering. In history, Buddhism exists in two main varieties - Hinayana and Mahayana. Buddhism arose in India in the 6th - 5th centuries. BC. But it did not gain much popularity in the country itself and became a world religion outside its borders - in China, Japan, Central Asia, Korea, Vietnam and other countries. The rejection occurred because Buddhism rejected caste, the authority of the Vedas and Brahmins, religious ritualism, and therefore did not fit into the social structure and culture of Indian society, which was based precisely on the tradition rejected by Buddhism.

Buddhists believe that the bearers of high knowledge are Buddhas - beings whose mind is in a free, not bound, state, and the highest manifestation of these beings is the historical Buddha. The teachings of the Buddha are proposed to be perceived through the religious model of the universe: the one God, by separating heaven from earth, creates a three-dimensional space and self-realizes in it through acts of creation, and then this is a space spiritualized by God, in which God manifests himself through His names and real shapes: Buddha, Jesus Christ, the Koran, become a testing ground for the development of the human mind.

Today Buddhism exists in two main forms. Hinayana is common in Sri Lanka and in the countries of Southeast Asia - in Myanmar (formerly Burma), Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Mahayana is predominant in China, including Tibet, Vietnam, Japan, Korea and Mongolia. Significant numbers of Buddhists live in the Himalayan kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan, as well as in Sikkim in northern India. Much fewer Buddhists (less than 1%) live in India itself, Pakistan, the Philippines and Indonesia. Outside of Asia, several thousand Buddhists live in the United States (600 thousand), South America (160 thousand) and Europe (20 thousand).

Universal logical connection of religious doctrines.

Based on a review of the world's religions, the question naturally arises of what unites them all. Both at the theoretical and empirical level it was established that they contain the answer to the question of the meaning of life. In all religions, it turns out that a person’s life can be determined not only by the manifestations of world forces, but also by his own efforts. Efforts can somehow influence his life. This means that a person cannot completely submit to fate, but must exercise his freedom and bear responsibility, since his life depends on the nature of these efforts. All religions claim that a person should strive to achieve everything pleasant and avoid everything bad in life in order to receive a worthy reward in the future. Thus, human life is determined by the arbitrariness of God, who alone rules in the world, therefore a person must strive to be pleasing to God in order to achieve everything that is pleasant in life or to avoid everything that is unpleasant in it. This unites all the religions that exist in our world, but in essence they have many differences and have different effects on human activity and life.

1.3 The influence of religion onvarious areas of human life

Religion exists in society not as a body alien to it, but as one of the manifestations of the life of the social organism. Religion is part public life, from which it cannot be isolated, since it is firmly woven into the fabric of social relations. Nevertheless, the nature and degree of this connection in different spheres of human life are not the same. And in order to see the degree of influence of religion on a person’s life, it is necessary to consider this issue from several positions:

1) religion and science

2) religion and society

3) religion and economics

Religion and Science

The relationship between “religion and science” consists of two questions: 1) what is the relationship between the subject of religion and the subject of science; 2) how science can study religion.

The first question arose when science suddenly began to claim to refute, or at least verify, the dogmas of various religious doctrines. However, already at the end of the 19th century. They began to express the idea that these sciences have nothing in common with religious knowledge. The answers contained in religious doctrines can neither be confirmed nor refuted by scientific data. Thus, science and religion are completely different in their focus. Knowledge of science and knowledge of religion do not intersect; they belong to different spheres, fulfill different purposes, arise different ways. But still, nowadays scientists are constantly trying to prove the doctrines of religion from a scientific point of view. And the fact that religion and science have different subjects does not mean that science cannot study religion itself.

But on the other hand, the role of religion is also manifested in the fact that it is deeply hostile to science and the scientific worldview. For many, many centuries the church mercilessly stifled science and persecuted scientists. He prohibited the dissemination of progressive ideas, destroyed the books of progressive thinkers, and imprisoned them and burned them at the stake. But despite all efforts, the church was not able to delay the development of science, which was urgently dictated by the needs of material production. In our time, being powerless to refute the greatest scientific achievements, the church is trying to reconcile science with religion, to prove that scientific achievements do not contradict faith, but are consistent with it. Science gives a person reliable knowledge about the world, about the laws of its development. And religion, in turn, gives an idea of the meaning of this person’s life. Today, religion is studied in almost all humanities.

Religion and society

The question of the relationship between religion and society is, first of all, a question of the role of religion in motivating social behavior. Religion is a link in sociocultural connections, the functioning of which makes it possible to understand their structure and emergence: it acts as a factor, firstly, in the emergence and formation of social relations, and secondly, in the legitimization of certain forms of social actions and relationships. Religion helps maintain the stability of society and at the same time stimulates its change. Religion makes human life meaningful, it gives it “meaning,” it helps people understand who they are by showing the meaning of the group to which they belong among other people inhabiting our world. Religion also contributes to the stability of society by establishing norms that are beneficial to a given social structure and creating the conditions for a person to fulfill moral obligations. In addition to interreligious ones, religion causes conflicts related to its existence in a secular society. Religious commitment can lead to conflict between adherence to the requirements of faith and the law. In turn, religious conflicts can promote change, and social changes can cause changes in the religious sphere. One should also keep in mind the fact that religious affiliation can serve as a means of uniting certain groups.

In modern society, the relationship between religious and political institutions is considered in two aspects. The first is associated with the functions performed by religion to substantiate and maintain the values of a given society. These values are also involved in political activity: their influence and attitude towards law and authority is reflected in support or opposition to them. The second aspect concerns the correlation of religion with politics as an institution representing the interests of certain social groups associated with strengthening their influence.

Religion andeconomics

At different historical periods, religious groups, wishing to influence the economic views and behavior of their followers, were faced with a dilemma: on the one hand, they tended to consider poverty a virtue. For example, the Bible states, “Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the earth,” and the Buddhists exalt the mendicant monk who travels easily, unencumbered by economic concerns, and can therefore easily plunge into a life of observation and reflection. However, as soon as the organization of a religious group becomes more complex, a problem arises - funds are needed for its activities. Then the group begins to get involved in economic affairs, whether it wants to or not. She begins to demand contributions from her followers and is grateful for the donations she receives from wealthy members. If a member of such a group manages to get rid of poverty, he is not condemned; on the contrary, he is even praised for his hard work and frugality.

Thus, religion influences the economic sphere. Firstly, when economic life emphasizes such personal and business virtues as honesty, dignity, respect for obligations, and religion successfully instills these virtues in its followers. Secondly, religion sometimes encourages consumption - religious holidays encourage the consumption of certain material things, even if they are just special candles or special foods. Third, by emphasizing human work as a “calling,” religion (especially Protestantism) has elevated work, no matter how degrading, and this is associated with increases in productivity and income (see Table 1). Fourthly, religion can justify and approve specific economic systems and types of activities.

Table 1 Ratio of income of believers

	Ratio of income per person in countries where religious adherents predominate and in other countries	A comment
Christians in general		Christian countries are five times richer than all other countries in the world. Christianity has the most positive impact on the economies of the world compared to other religions and ideologies.
Protestants		Protestant countries are eight times richer than all other countries in the world.
Catholics		Catholic countries are one and a half times richer than all other countries in the world.
Orthodox		Orthodox countries are 1.24 times poorer than all other countries in the world.
Muslims		Muslim countries are 4.4 times poorer than the rest of the world.
		Buddhist countries are 6.7 times poorer than the rest of the world.
		Hindu countries are 11.6 times poorer than the rest of the world. Of all the world's religions, Hinduism has the most negative impact on the economies of the world.
		Atheist countries are 11.9 times poorer than the rest of the world. The more atheists in countries, the poorer those countries are. Atheism as an ideology has the worst impact on the economies of the world.

American researchers also came to the conclusion that religion influences the pace economic growth. And, as a rule, belief in hell spurs growth more than belief in heaven.

Harvard economics professor Robert Barro, together with a number of scientists, conducted a series of studies on the connection between the religiosity of the population and the economic growth of different countries. The main conclusion is that faith in God can increase the rate of economic growth.

Robert Barro divided having a belief in God, a belief in an afterlife, a belief in heaven, and a belief in hell. His study, based on data from 59 countries, showed that the contribution of these factors to economic growth is always positive, although unequal. For example, belief in heaven has a much smaller impact on economic growth than belief in hell. The scientist himself expressed it this way: “The stick in the form of potential hell turns out to be much more effective than the carrot of potential heaven.” However, it has long been known that fear is the strongest stimulus. He spoke about the role of religion, in particular Protestantism, in creating ethical and moral incentives for effective work at the beginning of the twentieth century. Max Weber. According to scientists from Canada Ulrich Bloom and Leonard Dudley, religion influences the economy not so much through incentives to work more efficiently, but through the positive effect of the ban on lies and deception, which is especially important in economics.

Banks and religion

Banks are an integral part of the economic sphere. And here, too, there is interference of religion. There have been some studies that have shown that Protestants are indeed more responsible in their dealings with banks. And this once again proves that religion is an integral part of personality and largely determines a person’s behavior in society. For a long time science and state institutions In many countries, religion was considered exclusively in the sphere of people's private lives. It is now clear that such a position does not correspond to the realities of life. From the history of Italy, Germany, and other European countries, we observe a situation where a certain part of the financial system was formed under the influence of religious beliefs and with the direct participation of the church. In a number of cases, the principle of religious solidarity worked, this concerned, in particular, issues of lending. In the West, at one time they believed that religion was disappearing, moving more and more into the sphere of private life, but now they understand that religion concerns many spheres of public life.

The influence of religion on many banks, for example in Italy, is very strong. It has developed historically and remains significant today. Related to this is the phenomenon of “ethical banking business,” that is, a business that complies with the ethical standards established in society. The formation of ethical standards is influenced by bank clients and public institutions, including the church. Now we see how the requirements to take into account moral, ethical and religious values in the banking business are gradually growing. This is a very interesting phenomenon, and banks must respond to it in their practices.

The face of a bank, as is known, is largely formed by its clients. To be successful, he must take into account the peculiarities of the culture (and religion is an integral part of it) of the region where he works. Without this, he is disconnected from life, and as a result, the quality of service will suffer - one of the important tools for maintaining customer loyalty.

ChapterII. The influence of religion on the economies of individual countries of the world

2.1 USA

The USA is the largest exporter of capital. The USA has the largest economy in the world, many natural resources including energy and raw materials. High-tech production and research are the best in the world. The service sector and competitive industry are well developed. Leading software manufacturer. Excellent higher education system, especially in the field of high-tech. American firms prosper due to the widespread dissemination of American culture throughout the world. The world's largest exporter of goods. Political stability, qualified personnel.

Is all this influenced by religion?

The American government does not keep official statistics on religion. According to the CIA World Fact Book for 2007, 51.3% of the US population consider themselves Protestants, 23.9% Catholics, 12.1% unaffiliated, 1.7% Mormons, 1 .6% - other Christian denomination, 1.7% - Jews, 0.7% - Buddhists, 0.6% - Muslims, 2.5% - other or not specified, 4% - none ( see Appendix 4).

It is well known that America is a highly multi-religious country: people from almost all countries of the world live here, bringing with them their religions. That's why America is often called the "marketplace of beliefs," where numerous religious organizations actively compete with each other for the attention of citizens. Data from a major survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that this is indeed true, in the most literal sense. Different denominations, like competing firms, are indeed poaching clients and adherents from each other on an unprecedented scale and at an unprecedented pace. As it turned out, today 28% of American citizens identify themselves with a religion other than the one in which they grew up. And this is only if we consider the transition of believers between the main religious traditions, such as Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism, etc. If we also take into account the transition of believers between individual traditions within these faiths (for example, between various Protestant denominations), then the share of Americans who changed their faith in adulthood is 44%.

And the point is not that some religions are more attractive than others: all faiths simultaneously lose and attract followers. A significant number of Americans who grew up Catholic have converted to other faiths or consider themselves “unaffiliated” with any of them. However, no less than 2.6% of the US population, on the contrary, converted to Catholicism at a conscious age. The picture is similar for Protestants. On the one hand, 8.5% of American adults are now former Baptists and 4.4% are former Methodists. On the other hand, 4.5% and 2.4% of US citizens, respectively, joined these churches as adults. For small groups like Anabaptists, Adventists or Quakers, the influx and outflow of believers is generally comparable to the number of hereditary adherents of the denomination. In other words, within the lifetime of one generation, a denomination loses half of its believers, but attracts the same number. Interestingly, the situation is similar with American Muslims: they are actively losing fellow believers, but in return they are successfully gaining new ones. Among today's adherents of Islam in America, 24% grew up Protestant, 4% grew up Catholic, and 8% were born into “unaffiliated” families.

American society has experienced a surge in religiosity in recent decades, similar to what is happening now in Russia, where many citizens who grew up in Soviet times in families completely indifferent to religion are now turning to Orthodoxy and Islam. In the United States, the ranks of “born again Christians” who have found faith in adulthood are also growing - President George W. Bush, as we know, belongs to them. However, it's not so simple: research shows that fundamentalist Protestant groups (such as evangelical Christians) are also losing adherents. And most of all people from other religious groups today are among the so-called unaffiliated (who do not identify themselves with any of the faiths, including atheists). And at the same time, they are also experiencing a strong outflow: more than half (54%) of those who grew up in non-denominational families today identify themselves with one religion or another. There is no need to talk about a clear trend here. Notably, the highest proportion of converts in the United States is among Buddhists, 32% of whom grew up Protestant and 22% raised Catholic. It seems that more and more Americans today are accepting a change of religion without any drama, choosing the denomination that better suits their current problems, spiritual quests and lifestyle.

As it turns out, American Hindus are losing the least number of adherents: 84% of those raised in Hindu families still adhere to the faith of their fathers. In second place in terms of the stability of believers are Jews, for them this figure is 76%. Both of these confessions are mononational: religious identity here is intertwined with ethnic identity. This probably explains their stability. In third place in terms of stability are the Orthodox (73%), whose religiosity and nationality are also closely connected: unlike the same Catholics, they have Russian, Armenian, Greek, Bulgarian, etc. churches, each of which serves its own ethnic community. But supranational confessions are actively losing members - Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists, for whom there really is “neither Jew nor Greek.” The sustainability rate for Catholics is 68%. Their church, although formally supranational, in practice for people from many European countries (for example, Poles, Irish, Italians) Catholicism has become part of national identity, a sign of belonging to their ethnic community. The downside to this resilience is the inability to attract new members: only 10% of Hindus and 15% of Jews in the United States were born into another faith. However, even these few converts came to the new faith through marriage with those who were born into it.

There are two models available. In some cases, confessions retain their stability thanks primarily to traditions and historical memory. In others, when there is no such ethnic foundation, a new type of religiosity develops, in which belonging to a particular confession is not fixed once and for all and there is a constant circulation of believers. In both cases, it is probably difficult to talk about special Protestant ethics or Confucian values.

The most highly educated denomination in the United States is Hindus: 74% of them have higher education, and 48% also studied in graduate school. It is Hindus who are the richest denomination in America (along with Jews): 44% of them receive more than $100 thousand a year. Among Protestants, despite their notorious capitalist ethics, only 15% have such income, while every third earns less than $30 thousand a year. The same Hindus turn out to be insufficiently entrepreneurial in India, but extremely successful in the USA, and Christians set an example business activity in India, but for some reason they lag far behind other denominations in the traditionally Protestant States. It can be assumed that the fact is that both Christians in India and Hindus in the USA are religious minorities, outsiders, even if they are not the first generation living in this country. Such minorities often turn out to be more economically and socially active than conservative natives. But Hindus in the United States are not the only religious minority: people from a variety of countries and adherents of a variety of religions live here. It turns out that not all religions are equally useful for the economy. But it’s impossible to predict how each of them will manifest itself in certain conditions. Abstract values that always and everywhere determine the economic behavior of a Catholic, Protestant or Hindu probably still do not exist.

2.2 Russia

Religious composition of the population of the Russian Empire and modern Russia The population of Russia consists of 160 nationalities, therefore, such a “motley” population will profess more than one religion. Russians profess almost all world religions, but the most widespread are the three world ones: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism. About 30 million profess Islam, which is 20%. Most of about 70% of Russians profess Christianity, and more specifically, Orthodoxy (see Appendix 5).

More than 60% of Russian residents consider themselves believers. This was shown by a survey by the independent research center ROMIR, the results of which were provided by ITAR-TASS.

Since the majority of Russians profess Christianity. In the future, it is advisable to consider the influence of religion on the economic development of Russia. Christianity is based on the Bible, which contains the 10 commandments. They are very similar to some situations in economics. In order to conduct serious research into the influence of Christian commandments on the economy, it makes sense to build a mathematical model of the economy of a society in which:

· steal or not steal;

· take bribes while holding any government positions, or do not;

· are engaged in racketeering, extortion and other types of “attacks” on businessmen or are not involved;

· deceive superiors and subordinates or do not deceive,

Let's look at a few commandments:

1. “Thou shalt not steal” If members of a society do not adhere to the commandment “Thou shalt not steal,” they steal not only from each other. It turns out that they are robbing their society, they are stealing from themselves. In this development scenario, the programming community will remain as poor as it was a year ago. This example shows that the GDP of a society decreases by the total amount stolen. The more people steal in a society, the less GDP there will be in society and vice versa. The question is, is there any benefit to the economy of any country if the citizens of that country adhere to the commandment “thou shalt not steal”? Undoubtedly.

2. “You shall not covet… anything that is your neighbor’s” Here we can look at bribery of government officials. Bribery of government officials can have a simply catastrophic (it’s hard to find another word) impact on the economy of a society. One of the reasons for the depressing influence on the Russian economy and the poverty of the Russian people is the large scale of corruption of government officials.

3. “Do not kill” From an economic point of view, murder is an irreparable loss for society, one of the most serious crimes. If stolen property can somehow be replenished through, say, more intensive labor, then a murdered entrepreneur is a completely irreparable loss. It is obvious, therefore, that the economy of a society where the commandment “thou shalt not kill” is fulfilled has significantly greater advantages than the economy of a society in which this commandment is not fulfilled. Crime in Russia has reached alarming proportions. In terms of murder rates, we rank third in the world, behind only Colombia and South Africa.

2.3 Japan

Why is Japan's economy thriving despite the fact that Japan is not a Christian country?

As for Japan, the commandment “honor your father and mother” is strictly observed in this country. It seems that more than 90% of the Japanese have never heard that such a commandment is written in the Bible, nevertheless, they fulfill it. What is the result? The Japanese people are one of the longest-living people on Earth, and this is no coincidence, because the Bible has a promise: “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in that land.” which the Lord your God gives you" (Deuteronomy 5:16). Respect for parents and care for them is embedded in Japanese culture, and the Japanese absorb this attitude towards their ancestors “with their mother’s milk.”

The Japanese also follow another Biblical commandment, “thou shalt not steal,” and pay taxes faithfully (see Appendix 5).

And most importantly: they are better than others at fulfilling the Christian commandment “as you want people to do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31). The Japanese are literally obsessed with the quality of the goods they produce for others. This is the secret of their success. They manage to make products better than others, they are better than others at “doing to others as they want to be done to them.”

Who wants low-quality goods produced for him and sold to him? Nobody. But who wants the highest quality goods produced for him and sold to him? All. And the Japanese do it. This is the secret to the prosperity of the Japanese economy.

The Japanese economy has the same laws as the economy of, say, Hong Kong or Russia.

This example shows that the Japanese may not have been aware, and were not aware, of the Biblical principles that lead to a prosperous economy in this country. But they have “found” those that really ensure prosperity.

The British National Economic Development Council analyzed the activities of winning firms that manage to far outstrip their competitors in the global market. Here are the two main principles that guide the winners:

1. Take care of the goods. Winning companies take much greater care of their products than other companies.

2. Always think about your customers. Winning companies constantly think about their customers. They have special teams that study not only the needs of customers today, but also the trends in their lifestyle in the future.

Conclusion

In my work, I examined the most basic world religions and their influence on various spheres of human life, including the economy. And she found that religion really influences economic development. To prove this, I looked at 3 countries and established a connection between their economy and the religion dominant in that country.

Religions of the world differ in age, prevalence, influence, complexity and systematization. Some of them served as government officials, others were forever persecuted. Some have existed for thousands of years, while others have disappeared before they could arise. Religions compete with each other for dominance over the consciousness of people. And yet, all religions are equal. It cannot be said that one religion is unconditionally better than another. All religions have the same value and significance for the development of world culture and economy. All of them are viable and have the right to exist. Every religion is suitable for ensuring the life of people.

WITHlist of used literature

1. Ambartsumova, E.M. Geography. Big reference book / E.M. Ambartsumova, V.V. Barabanov. - M.: Bustard, 2004. - 172 p.

2. Afanasyev, V.G. Fundamentals of philosophical knowledge / V.G. Afanasiev. - M.: Mysl, 1976. - 316 p.

3. Tishkov, V.A. Peoples and religions of the world. Encyclopedia / V.A. Tishkov. - M.: 1999. - 695 p.

4. Munchaev, Sh.M. Religion. History and modernity / Sh.M. Munchaev. - M.: 1998. - 20 p.

5. Tikhonravov, Yu.V. Religions of the world / Yu.V. Tikhonravov. - M.: 1996. - 20 p.

6. Rutkevich, E.D. Religion and society / E.D. Rutkevich. - M.: 1996. - 339 p.

7. Ethnology / ed. E.V. Miskova, N.L. Mehedova. - M.: 2005. - 196 p.

8. Wikipedia. http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity

9. Our world. http://nm2000.kz/news/2008-10-11-9978

10. Buddha and Buddhism. http://www.krugosvet.ru/enc/istoriya/BUDDA_I_BUDDIZM.html

11. http://www.sociumas.lt/Rus/Nr2/religija.asp

12. Interfax - Religion. http://www.interfax-religion.ru/national/?act=print&div=7884

13. http://www.nideya.narod.ru/razdel4.htm#_Toc57015426

14. http://www.spbgid.ru/index.php?news=111563

15. Banks and religion. http://www.bdm.ru/arhiv/2005/04/38-39.htm

16. http://www.nideya.narod.ru/razdel2.htm#_Toc56914105

Annex 1

Spread of Christianity in the world:

Red -- 50-100% of the population

Yellow -- 11-49% of the population

Blue -- 1-10% of the population

Gray -- 0-0.9% of the population

Fig.1. Spread of Christianity in the world

Fig.2. Christianity icons

Appendix 2

Red - Shiites, green - Sunnis, blue - Ibadis.

Fig.1. Spread of Islam in the world

Appendix 3

Table 1

	Time and place of origin	Number of adherents, million people.	Countries of distribution
Christianity	1st century AD, Palestine
Catholicism			Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, Latin American countries, USA, Philippines
Orthodoxy			Russia, Southern countries And Vostoch. Europe, Georgia
Protestantism			Great Britain, Northern countries Europe and the Baltics, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
	7th century, Arabian Peninsula
			Countries of the Middle East and North. Africa, Center Asia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Brunei, Albania, in Russia - Bashkiria, Tatarstan, rep. North Caucasus
			Iran, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Yemen
	VI century BC, Hindustan Peninsula		South, South-East And Center. Asia, in Russia - Buryatia, Tyva, Kalmykia

Appendix 4

Fig.1 World religions

Fig.2 Religion in the USA

Appendix 5

Fig.1 Religion in Russia

Fig.2 Religion in Japan

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Geography of world religions

Religion is an essential element in the differentiation of human cultures. On different stages history, in different countries and regions, the positions and influence of religion on social life and economic activity vary significantly.

Religions and beliefs are widespread in clearly localized geographic areas and have a specific influence on the social, political and economic life of people, on psychology, moral and legal consciousness and behavior. The influence of religion on the patterns of resource use and receptivity to innovation is especially great.

Religious reasons gave rise to most of the major political conflicts in the history of mankind, and territorially they were confined to the borders of areas with different beliefs.

The religions of the world existing today are divided into two large groups - monotheistic, which are characterized by belief in one main deity, and polytheistic who have an extensive pantheon of gods.

Geographically, religions are divided into local traditional beliefs held by scattered isolated tribes; national, as a rule, widespread within state borders or areas of residence of ethnic groups, and World religions"> world, which transcended national boundaries and became the common religion of many ethnic groups and states.

Local traditional beliefs

They arose at the very dawn of humanity and in conditions of geographical isolation of communities. The objects of their worship are varied: Animism"> animism- belief in the soul, its immortality and the existence of spirits; cult of ancestors - belief in the existence of people after physical death and their influence on those living today; Totemism">totemism is the belief in the origin of all members of a given tribe from a plant or animal that is considered sacred; Fetishism"> fetishism- belief in inanimate objects and their supernatural power; shamanism is the belief in the ability of shamans to communicate with spirits.

Many of these beliefs, having arisen at the dawn of the primitive system, persist today in isolated and inaccessible areas of Southeast Asia, Latin America, in the Arctic latitudes of North America and Eurasia. By the beginning of the 21st century. total number followers of traditional beliefs amounted to about 200 million people.

The evolution of early religious beliefs followed the evolution of society. The unification of disparate tribes into a single state was accompanied by the emergence of the cult of the human leader, who in early class society was transformed into the image of an abstract human god.

By the 2nd millennium BC. e. refers to the emergence of religions that have survived to this day.

Zoroastrianism (Parsism). This is one of the oldest religions, which originated in Central Asia in the 1st millennium BC. e. Its origin is associated with the name of the prophet Zoroaster. The teaching is based on the belief in two divine principles - the good god Ahuramazd and the evil one - Andromache. The divine service includes rituals of priests with sacred fire in a metal bowl (hence another name for Zoroastrians - fire worshipers). Fear of desecration and the need for purification gave rise to many prohibitions: restrictions on eating and bathing together, on eating from the hands of strangers, on contact with garbage and sewage. The number of Zoroastrians does not exceed 200 thousand people.

National religions

Judaism">Judaism is considered one of the earliest beliefs that has survived to this day. It arose on the territory of modern Israel, first as a polytheistic religion, which later turned to monotheism. Judaism, in addition to belief in one god, is characterized by belief in the immortality of the soul, posthumous reward, to heaven, hell and God's chosenness of the Jews. This last circumstance, as well as the fact that only those born of a Jewish mother can be considered a Jew, prevented the transformation of Judaism into a world religion. Judaism in its orthodox form is the dominant religion of the state of Israel; it is professed by Ashkenazis (Jews - people from Western, Northern and Eastern Europe) and Sephardim (Jews from North Africa, the Middle East, the Balkan and Iberian Peninsulas), as well as Jews living on all other continents. By the beginning of the 21st century, there were about 14 million people in the world. followers of Judaism, with about half of them living in America.

In Judaism, a large place is occupied by prayers, fasting, the rite of circumcision, and numerous holidays (Easter, Judgment Day, New Year, Saturday, etc.). Rabbis are actually teachers of the law, judges in Jewish communities, and not priests of the cult. Some followers of Judaism do not recognize the Talmud. These are, for example Karaites- descendants of those who migrated to Crimea from Khazaria in the 11th century. children of Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers, who, according to the dogmas of nudaism, are not “real” Jews. Samaritans, mainly living in the Samaria region (Israel) and in Jordan, recognize only some parts of the Old Testament (Torah and Nebim).

Hinduism"> Hinduism. In the second half of the 1st millennium BC. e. developed from Brahmanism, which appeared in South Asia, sanctifying the caste system of India. It is practiced by a significant part of the population of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Large communities of Hindus live in Indonesia, Guyana, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, and Mauritius.

The spread of Hinduism beyond the Hindustan Peninsula was hampered by two main factors: geographical (Himalayas) and conservative dogmas of the religion itself, and, first of all, its basis - the caste system.

In Hinduism there is no single dogma, ritual, or organized church. It includes elements of Brahmanism, Vedic and local religions, primitive beliefs: the veneration of water (“sacred waters” of the Ganges River), animals (“sacred cows”), and the cult of ancestors.

Followers of Hinduism recognize the Vedas as sacred books and follow the doctrine of samsara - the journeys of the soul, reincarnating after death into various living beings according to the law of karma, i.e., depending on what was done. Hinduism affirms the inequality of people before the gods and the divinity of caste division. People are obliged to follow the order of life established for each caste, choose a profession and social circle.

The caste system is transforming very slowly. The law abolishing the caste system, passed after Indian independence, changed little in the life of Hindu society. Rajiv Gandhi government in the late 80s. XX century introduced 30% reservation of seats in the government apparatus and in higher educational institutions for representatives of the untouchable caste, which caused protests from almost all sectors of Hindu society - both representatives of the upper castes and the untouchables themselves.

The pantheon of Hindu gods is large. The main God in Hinduism is the Triune God (Trimurti), who has the properties of creation (Brahma), preservation (Vishnu), destruction and creation (six-armed Shiva). Many temples were built in their honor.

Jainism arose as an “opposition” to the caste system in the 6th century. BC e., he proclaimed the main principle of faith is the non-killing of living beings.

In the XV-XVI centuries. At the intersection of the cultural influence of Islam and Hinduism in the territory of the modern state of Punjab (India), Sikhism arose, rejecting the caste system and incorporating elements of Islam and Hinduism. The dogmas of Hinduism indirectly contributed to the penetration of Islam into Hindustan. Representatives of the Kshatriya caste (warriors) in western regions there were few, and other castes did not have the right to engage in military affairs, so the Muslim conquerors did not receive a worthy rebuff here. To distinguish themselves from Hindus and Muslims, Sikhs wear the “five Ks”: kesh (long hair), kachha (short underpants), kanha (comb), kara (steel bracelet), kirpan (dagger). The colorful turbans and beards of Sikhs are clearly visible in the street crowd. The number of Sikhs is about 15 million people; they are the third largest religious community in India (after Hindus and Muslims). Since the mid-60s. Sikhs are fighting for the creation of an independent state of Khalistan. Sikhs have influential communities in many countries in Asia and Africa, where they control the tailoring business and trade.

Religions of East Asia: Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism. Philosophical systems arose on the territory of modern China - Confucianism"> Confucianism and Taoism"> Taoism. Over time, these systems acquired the status of religions. They did not have a strict church hierarchy and did not oblige believers to think and act in a certain way. Unlike Christianity and Islam, Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism were never propagated by sword and fire, nor did they resort to missionary work.

Confucius

Confucianism. Confucius - a statesman of Ancient China (V - VI centuries BC) and his followers wrote the treatise "Lun Yu" ("Conversations and Judgments") - the main literary source of Confucianism. Strictly speaking, Confucianism is not a religion, since it never had the institution of a church, priesthood, or mystical elements. The ideas of Confucius are the ideas of earthly man, not of God. A person must comply with the norms of social behavior and traditional rituals. Other ethical norms of Confucianism are mandatory moral self-improvement and adherence to the rules of etiquette - to act in accordance with one’s social position, and to unconditionally obey superiors. The power of rulers is considered to be granted by heaven, and therefore sacred, and the division of people into “higher” and “lower” is considered a fair law. Confucian morality preaches five cardinal virtues: humanity, justice, self-improvement, nobility and loyalty.

From the 2nd century. n. e. before the Xinhai Revolution of 1911-1913. Confucianism was the official state ideology of China, an authoritative ethical system that determined the thinking and character of millions of people. Nowadays, Confucianism is followed by about 300 million people in China, on the Korean Peninsula, in Japan, in countries with a large Chinese diaspora (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.).

Confucian values included in the scope economic activity and education, contributed significantly to economic success in the territories where this religion is practiced.

Temple in China

Taoism- one of the religions of China, the ideological source of which was the philosophical teaching of Lao Tzu, who lived peacefully at the same time as Confucius. Unlike Confucianism, Taoism is focused on the individual. According to this teaching, people should follow the natural course of events and not try to change it. The ideal of this religious and philosophical school is a life that does not violate the harmony of the surrounding world, achieving unity with nature and gaining immortality. In Taoism, fortune-telling and rituals that drive out evil spirits occupy a central place. The highest deities are recognized as Shang Di (the Lord of Jasper - God of Heaven and Father of Emperors), Lao Tzu and the creator of the world Pan Gu.

Taoism had a strong influence on culture, contributed to the development of chemistry and traditional medicine based on the principle of harmony of the human body (acupuncture, physiotherapy, pharmacology). Closely related to Taoism is the doctrine of opposite principles - yin and yang.

Yin - feminine, weakness, passivity, north, even numbers, yang - masculine, strength, activity, south, odd numbers. Their unity creates a perfect whole. Ancient books preserved recipes for medicines and descriptions of the properties of metals and minerals. About 30 million residents of China, Singapore and other countries where the Chinese live consider themselves adherents of Taoism.

Shinto shrine in Japan

Shintoism">Shintoism - a philosophical religious system - was formed in Japan, based on the cult of deities of nature and ancestors. The main deity is the Sun Goddess Amaterasu - the ancestor of all Japanese emperors. Gods and spirits inhabit and spiritualize all nature, are able to incarnate in any object that becomes an object of worship. The religious goal is to achieve salvation in this, and not in the other world, through spiritual fusion with the deity through prayers and rituals. Shintoism is characterized by magnificent holidays with sacred dances and processions. Shintoism partially coincides and peacefully coexists with Buddhism. for example, they are adherents of both Shintoism and Buddhism. For almost a century (from the mid-19th century), Shintoism was the state religion of Japan.

Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism did not become world religions and did not spread beyond the areas of their formation.

Yezidis (Yazidis). The basis of the creed, which followers try to keep secret, is the belief in one God, Ezd. At the same time, followers recognize Jesus Christ as God and revere the Muslim prophet Muhammad and the Jewish Abraham. They recognize the Bible and the Koran as sacred books; Christian baptism and circumcision of boys are common among them, like Muslims and Jews. Yazidis are Kurds living in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Armenia.

World religions

Buddhism- the oldest world religion. Appeared in the 6th century. BC e. as an opposition to the caste system enshrined in Brahmanism: a person’s dignity and his social status depend not on his origin, but on his behavior. All people, regardless of class and ethnic differences, can accept the teachings of the Buddha and find the path to salvation.

According to Buddhist canons, life is a continuous chain of suffering, which can be alleviated by righteous behavior and non-killing living beings.

Buddhism is widespread in China, Japan, Korea, and is the dominant religion in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mongolia, Bhutan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Large Buddhist communities live in India, Nepal, Singapore, Indonesia and Russia, where it is practiced by Buryats, Tuvans and Kalmyks.

Followers of Buddhism are vegetarians: they do not eat meat products. These ethical standards have a direct impact on economic life, especially on the specialization of agriculture.

There are two main schools of thought in Buddhism. Adherents of Hinayana (which means “narrow path”) consider the Buddha to be a real historical person and strictly follow the principles of early Buddhism; those who want to achieve salvation must leave worldly life. Followers of the Mahayana (“broad path”) deify the Buddha and believe that monasticism is not necessary for salvation.

The three most important values of Buddhism are the teacher Buddha, the teaching of drachma, the guardian of truth - sagha, who points out and facilitates the path of the believer. These ideas of Buddhism, as well as the relative indifference to ritual and adaptation to local conditions, contributed to its spread beyond India. In the southern and southeastern direction, Buddhism spread mainly in the form of the Hinayana teachings (in the 3rd - 1st centuries BC). From the beginning of our era, its movement to the north and northeast began in the form of the Mahayana teachings. In India itself, Buddhism was supplanted by Hinduism with a caste system that did not accept equality.

IN Lamaism, a later form of Buddhism, places special emphasis on magical spells and meditation, with the help of which one can achieve nirvana - a state of supreme bliss and detachment from the worries of life. Lamaism is widespread among the population of Mongolia, in eastern Buryatia, among Kalmyks and Tuvans.

Christianity appeared at the beginning of the first millennium AD in the east of the Roman Empire, on the territory of modern Israel, as a protest against Judaic exclusivity. It quickly spread among slaves and the poor. Having proclaimed the equality of all people, Christianity rejected the existing slave-owning social order, giving the desperate hope of gaining freedom through the knowledge of the divine truth that Christ brought to earth.

Craftsmen, traders, farmers, and nobility began to join Christian communities. Emperor Constantine (c. 285 - 337) with his edict of 324 marked the beginning of the transformation of Christianity into the state religion of the Roman Empire.

The creeds were defined at the first seven Ecumenical Councils. They have been preserved unchanged in the Orthodox Church, which gives it additional arguments as a truly Christian doctrine.

Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the Sourozh Monastery of the 11th century. in Pskov (Russia)

According to Christianity, God exists in three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God the Son accepted martyrdom to atone for the sins of people and come to Earth a second time to establish the kingdom of heaven. The holy book of Christians is the Bible, consisting of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The main ethical standards are patience and forgiveness. In 1054 there was a complete break between the Roman (western) and Constantinople (eastern) branches of Christianity, it was divided into Catholicism">Catholicism and Orthodoxy">Orthodoxy. The main differences between them lie in the question of the origin of the Holy Spirit: Catholics believe that it came from God the Father and God the Son, Orthodox believe that it came from God the Father.

Catholics, unlike Orthodox Christians, believe that in addition to hell and heaven, there is also purgatory. In the Orthodox Church, only choral singing without music is allowed; in the Catholic Church, services are accompanied by organ music. There are also differences in rituals, in the architecture of church buildings, in the organization of the church (strict centralization and the omnipotence of the Pope in Catholicism).

The Orthodox Church is not governed by a single center; it is represented by 15 autocephalous (independent) churches: Constantinople, Alexandria (Egypt and some African countries), Antioch (Syria, Lebanon), Jerusalem (Palestine), Russian, Georgian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Cypriot, Hellenic (Greek), Albanian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, American. From a number of autocephalous churches, autonomous churches have been identified that have greater rights of self-government (Sinai - the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Japanese - the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus').

In the 90s XX century As a result of the collapse of the USSR, the question arose about the formation of an independent Ukrainian Church and its separation from the Russian Orthodox Church.

In the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Macedonia, and in Cyprus, those professing Orthodoxy make up the majority of the population. There are large Orthodox communities in the USA, Kazakhstan, the Baltic countries, Kyrgyzstan, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey, and the countries of the Middle East.

Uniate(or the Greek Catholic Church), which recognizes the primacy of the Pope, appeared in the areas of “contact” between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity, and absorbed the ethical norms and rituals of both branches. It is most widespread in Western Ukraine.

Monophysite Church, which considers Jesus Christ not a god-man, but a god, is common among Egyptian Copts, Ethiopia, and Armenia.

Catholic Church strictly centralized, has one center - the state of the Vatican City, a single head - the Pope (Jesus' vicar on Earth). The clergy in Catholicism takes a vow of celibacy. For many centuries, services in Catholicism were performed in Latin; only the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) allowed services in national languages.

In most countries of Western Europe, Catholicism is the dominant religion, and in a number of countries - Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland - there are large communities. In all American states, the majority of the believing population professes Catholicism: almost a third of the US population and half of Canadians are Catholics.

The Catholic Church has a huge, strictly disciplined army of clergy, numerous monastic orders, and charitable organizations.

The spread of Christianity, primarily Catholicism, beyond Europe and its transformation into a world religion began with the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries. Colonization was often explained by the need to bring true faith to new territories. Outside European countries, Christian rituals were modified in accordance with local conditions. In the 16th century Catholicism spread to Latin America, to the Philippines, where the position of this religion is strong to this day. In the 19th century Together with the settlers, Catholicism penetrated into Australia and New Zealand.

Colonial governments declared Catholicism the state religion in a number of countries in Southern and Tropical Africa (Cape Verde, Reunion), about 50% of the population of Equatorial Guinea, Seychelles, Angola, Burundi, Rwanda, Cameroon are Catholics. More than a third of the population of Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congo, the Central African Republic, Kenya and Uganda adhere to the Catholic faith; 20% of Mozambique's population. There are large groups of Catholics in Namibia, Lesotho, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Madagascar.

In Asia, Catholic countries are the Philippines and East Timor, there are many Catholics in Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

At the beginning of the 20th century. Catholicism spread to the Pacific Islands: Guam, Samoa, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia.

As a result of the Reformation in Europe in the 16th century. separated from the Catholics Protestants, who rejected the primacy of the Pope as a mediator between God and believers. They began to recognize the atonement of sins only by faith in God, and considered the Bible to be the only source of doctrine. Protestants, in turn, were divided into Church of England, Lutheranism, Calvinism, from which they broke away Reformers, Presbyterians, Baptists and others. Protestants predominate among the population of Northern Europe, Canada, the USA, Austria, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, and Switzerland.

Islam. The founder of Islam is a real historical figure, the Arab merchant Muhammad (509-623). The Archangel Gabriel appeared to him in 609 or 610 in the month of Ramadan and announced that Muhammad had been chosen by God to give people the true faith and save them from the Last Judgment. Muhammad's homeland, Hijaz, lay on a mountain-framed coastline between the Sinai Peninsula and Mecca. This area, where Bedouin tribes had previously roamed and caravans passed slowly, gradually became a place of permanent residence for merchants and moneylenders.

Wars required a constant influx of goods, and the inhabitants of Mecca, located at the crossroads of the most important trade routes, did everything possible to develop trade. “Holy months” were introduced, when blood feud and any military action near the city walls were prohibited.

The situation in the vicinity of Mecca was unstable: nomads robbed peasants and caravans, Bedouins were at enmity with each other over pastures and wells.

Thus, circumstances required an ideology that would smooth out social contradictions, put an end to civil strife and robberies, and direct the militancy of the inhabitants to external goals. Muhammad gave all this. At first ridiculed for his obsession, he united his countrymen under the green banner of Islam.

In Islam, unlike other religions, there are provisions that promote geographical discoveries, this is a “holy war”, mandatory pilgrimage to holy places and the recognition of trade as a charitable activity. For example, sura 17 of the Koran directly insists on sea voyages, claiming that Allah drives forward the ships of the faithful, on which they strive for abundance. Muhammad himself, being a merchant, argued that those who leave their homeland in search of knowledge follow the path of God.

The main center of Islam is Mecca, where the black stone of the Kaaba is located. Muslims pray five times a day, facing this place. In Europe, Islam spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula - in southern and eastern Spain. Here, Arab-Moorish rule lasted for almost eight centuries - from 711 to 1492.

A distinctive feature of Arab palaces is the abundance of carpets, the division into ceremonial halls, services and the female half (harem), where unauthorized men are prohibited from entering. There was always a park adjacent to the palaces.

Islam was brought to North and Tropical Africa by Arab trade caravans. We owe the description of the “land of gold” to Arab travelers - the West African empire of Ghana (in the south of modern Mauritania), the kingdoms of Bornu and Kanem, the East African coast, where the Azanian civilization was formed under their influence.

Unlike all other religions, Islam spread among all peoples who were ready to accept it, regardless of skin color and local beliefs. The result of this campaign was the flourishing of Islamic culture, due to the joint actions of Indians, Persians, Egyptians, united by Arab power. In Islamic literature, along with studies in mathematics, medicine and astronomy, travel descriptions became especially popular.

Muslims, or Mohammedans, believe in one god, Allah, and Muhammad is considered his messenger on earth. The Holy Book of Muslims is considered the Koran, which consists of sermons, regulations regulating property, legal, family relations, it also contains everyday rules and teachings.

Three main directions have emerged in Islam, differing in their approach to the question of the head of the Muslim community. Followers Sunnism in addition to the Koran, the “sacred tradition” of the Sunna is recognized, and worthy representatives of the elite are elected as the head of the Muslim community. For followers Shiism The role of Muhammad's son-in-law, the prophet Ali, is important (only his descendants can inherit power). Kharijism- Orthodox Islam, close to Sunnism, requires adherence to strict rules of conduct in life. The Kharijites condemn luxury, prohibit games and music, and choose a worthy leader of the community.

Almost 90% of the world's Muslims are Sunni. Shiism predominates in Iran, Bahrain, Yemen, and Azerbaijan. Large Shiite communities live in Lebanon, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.

At the end of the twentieth century. - beginning of the 21st century. the world witnessed a sharp increase in the role of Islam in the economic, political, and spiritual life of countries.

There are Muslim communities in almost 120 countries around the world. In almost 30 countries, Islam is recognized as the state (official) religion. In 43 countries, Muslims make up the absolute majority of the population. These are 16 countries in North and West Africa, 26 countries in South-West and Central Asia, Albania. In almost 30 countries, Muslims form an influential minority of the population. These include Russian Federation, in which many peoples of the North Caucasus, Tatars and Bashkirs, profess Islam.

Religions and social life

Most religions of the world attach special importance to continuity, traditions, and adherence to certain norms of behavior. From this point of view, religions definitely play a conservative role in society. Religions are often an obstacle to demographic policy.

Religions have an indirect influence on agricultural development by limiting the consumption of certain foods (at certain times of the year) and by attaching symbolic significance to domestic animals. More than 260 million Buddhists are vegetarians, Hindus do not eat beef, Muslims do not eat pork.

Introduction

Chapter I. General characteristics of world religions in the modern world

1.1 Religion

1.2 Types of religions

1.3 The influence of religion on various areas of life

Chapter II. The influence of religion on the economies of individual countries of the world

2.2 Russia

2.3 Japan

Conclusion

List of used literature

Application

religion Christianity economics creed

Introduction

So, the purpose of my work is to test the relationship between the religiosity of the population and their attitude to new economic values, using the example of the attitude of believers to the organization of labor and important aspects of this sphere of human activity. I can find out whether there is a relationship between faith and new values, using the example of another sphere. In addition, I have to find out the correctness of the premise that believers mainly represent a socially disadvantaged segment of the population.

My goal thus breaks down into three tasks:

1.To check whether the religiosity of the population is related to the attitude towards new economic values in the sphere of work.

2.Check whether religiosity and a person’s social status are connected.

.Analyze literature and sources on this topic.

I will then give examples of various countries where economic development has been influenced by religion.

The object of my work is religion, and the subject is the dependence of the economy on religion. The work consists of an introduction, 2 chapters, a conclusion and an appendix.

Chapter I. General characteristics of world religions in the modern world

1.1 Religion

As of 2005, more than 54% of believers on Earth are adherents of one of the Abrahamic religions. 33% of them are Christians,

% are Muslims, 0.2% are Jews. 14% of the planet's inhabitants profess Hinduism, 6% are Buddhists, 6% profess traditional Chinese religions, 0.37% are Sikhs, 7% are adherents of other faiths (see Appendix 3).

1.2 Types of religions

Christianity.

The approximate number of adherents of various Christian denominations: Catholics - more than 1 billion, Protestants - about 400 million (including 100 million Pentecostals, 70 million Methodists, 70 million Baptists, 64 million Lutherans, about 75 million Presbyterians and movements close to them), Orthodox and adherents of the Ancient Eastern churches ("non-Chalcedonian" churches and Nestorians) - about 240 million, Anglicans - about 70 million, and followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church - 10 million.

Islam.

Buddhism.

Buddhists believe that the bearers of high knowledge are Buddhas - beings whose mind is in a free, not bound, state, and the highest manifestation of these beings is the historical Buddha. The teachings of Buddha are proposed to be perceived through a religious model of the universe: the one God, by separating heaven from earth, creates three-dimensional space and self-realizes in it through acts of creation, and then this is a space inspired by God, in which God manifests himself through His names and real forms: Buddha, Jesus Christ The Koran becomes a testing ground for the development of the human mind.

Universal logical connection of religious doctrines.

1.3 The influence of religion on various areas of human life

Religion exists in society not as a body alien to it, but as one of the manifestations of the life of the social organism. Religion is a part of social life, from which it cannot be isolated, since it is firmly woven into the fabric of social relations. Nevertheless, the nature and degree of this connection in different spheres of human life are not the same. And in order to see the degree of influence of religion on a person’s life, it is necessary to consider this issue from several positions:

1)religion and science

2)religion and society

)religion and economics

Religion and Science

The first question arose when science suddenly began to claim to refute, or at least verify, the dogmas of various religious doctrines. However, already at the end of the 19th century. They began to express the idea that these sciences have nothing in common with religious knowledge. The answers contained in religious doctrines can neither be confirmed nor refuted by scientific data. Thus, science and religion are completely different in their focus. Knowledge of science and knowledge of religion do not intersect; they belong to different spheres, serve different purposes, and arise in different ways. But still, nowadays scientists are constantly trying to prove the doctrines of religion from a scientific point of view. And the fact that religion and science have different subjects does not mean that science cannot study religion itself.

Religion and society

Religion and Economics

Thus, religion influences the economic sphere. Firstly, when economic life emphasizes such personal and business virtues as honesty, dignity, respect for obligations, and religion successfully instills these virtues in its followers. Secondly, religion sometimes encourages consumption - religious holidays encourage the consumption of certain material things, even if they are just special candles or special foods. Third, by emphasizing human work as a “calling,” religion (especially Protestantism) has elevated work, no matter how degrading, and this is associated with increases in productivity and income (see Table 1). Fourth, religion can justify and validate specific economic systems and activities.

Table 1 Ratio of income of believers

Religion Ratio of income per person in countries where religious adherents predominate and in other countries Commentary Christians in general 5.1 Christian countries are five times richer than all other countries in the world. Christianity has the most positive impact on the economies of the world compared to other religions and ideologies. Protestants 7.95 Protestant countries are eight times richer than all other countries in the world. Catholics 1.49 Catholic countries are one and a half times richer than all other countries in the world. Orthodox 0.81 Orthodox countries are poorer than all others countries of the world by 1.24 times. Muslims 0.23 Muslim countries are poorer than the rest of the world by 4.4 times. Buddhism 0.15 Buddhist countries are poorer than the rest of the world by 6.7 times. Hinduism 0.086 Hindu countries are poorer than the rest of the world by 11.6 times. Of all the world religions, Hinduism has the most negative impact on the economies of the world. Atheism0.084 Atheist countries are 11.9 times poorer than the rest of the world. The more atheists in countries, the poorer those countries are. Atheism as an ideology has the worst impact on the economies of the world. American researchers also came to the conclusion that religion affects the rate of economic growth. And, as a rule, belief in hell spurs growth more than belief in heaven.

Banks and religion

Banks are an integral part of the economic sphere. And here, too, there is interference of religion. There have been some studies that have shown that Protestants are indeed more responsible in their dealings with banks. And this once again proves that religion is an integral part of personality and largely determines a person’s behavior in society. For a long time, science and government institutions in many countries classified religion exclusively as a matter of private life. It is now clear that such a position does not correspond to the realities of life. From the history of Italy, Germany, and other European countries, we observe a situation where a certain part of the financial system was formed under the influence of religious beliefs and with the direct participation of the church. In a number of cases, the principle of religious solidarity worked, this concerned, in particular, issues of lending. In the West, at one time they believed that religion was disappearing, moving more and more into the sphere of private life, but now they understand that religion concerns many spheres of public life.

Chapter II. The influence of religion on the economies of individual countries of the world

2.1 USA

The USA is the largest exporter of capital. The United States has the world's largest economy and many natural resources, including energy and raw materials. High-tech production and research are the best in the world. The service sector and competitive industry are well developed. Leading software manufacturer. Excellent higher education system, especially in the field of high-tech. American firms prosper due to the widespread dissemination of American culture throughout the world. The world's largest exporter of goods. Political stability, qualified personnel.

Is all this influenced by religion?

The American government does not keep official statistics on religion. According to the CIA World Fact Book for 2007, 51.3% of the US population consider themselves Protestants, 23.9% are Catholics, 12.1% do not belong to any denomination, 1.7% are Mormons, 1.6 % - other Christian denomination, 1.7% - Jews, 0.7% - Buddhists, 0.6% - Muslims, 2.5% - other or not specified, 4% - none (see Appendix 4).

The most highly educated denomination in the United States is Hindus: 74% of them have higher education, and 48% also studied in graduate school. It is Hindus who are the richest denomination in America (along with Jews): 44% of them receive more than $100 thousand a year. Among Protestants, despite their notorious capitalist ethics, only 15% have such income, while every third earns less than $30 thousand a year. The same Hindus turn out to be insufficiently entrepreneurial in India, but extremely successful in the United States, and Christians set an example of business activity in India, but for some reason lag far behind other faiths in the traditionally Protestant States. It can be assumed that the fact is that both Christians in India and Hindus in the USA are religious minorities, outsiders, even if they are not the first generation living in this country. Such minorities often turn out to be more economically and socially active than conservative natives. But Hindus in the United States are not the only religious minority: people from a variety of countries and adherents of a variety of religions live here. It turns out that not all religions are equally useful for the economy. But it’s impossible to predict how each of them will manifest itself in certain conditions. Abstract values that always and everywhere determine the economic behavior of a Catholic, Protestant or Hindu probably still do not exist.

2.2 Russia

Religious composition of the population of the Russian Empire and modern Russia; the population of Russia consists of 160 nationalities, therefore, such a “motley” population will profess more than one religion. Russians profess almost all world religions, but the most widespread are the three world ones: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism. About 30 million profess Islam, which is 20%. Most of about 70% of Russians profess Christianity, and more specifically, Orthodoxy (see Appendix 5).

More than 60% of Russian residents consider themselves believers. This was shown by a survey by the independent research center ROMIR, the results of which were provided by ITAR-TASS.

· steal or not steal;

· take bribes while holding any government positions, or do not;

· are engaged in racketeering, extortion and other types of “attacks” on businessmen or are not involved;

· deceive superiors and subordinates or do not deceive,

Let's look at a few commandments:

1.“Thou Shalt Not Steal” If members of a society do not adhere to the commandment “Thou shalt not steal,” they steal from more than just each other. It turns out that they are robbing their society, they are stealing from themselves. In this development scenario, the programming community will remain as poor as it was a year ago. This example shows that the GDP of a society decreases by the total amount stolen. The more people steal in a society, the less GDP there will be in society and vice versa. The question is, is there any benefit to the economy of any country if the citizens of that country adhere to the commandment “thou shalt not steal”? Undoubtedly.

2.“You shall not covet… anything that is your neighbor’s” Here we can look at bribery of government officials. Bribery of government officials can have a simply catastrophic (it’s hard to find another word) impact on the economy of a society. One of the reasons for the depressing influence on the Russian economy and the poverty of the Russian people is the large scale of corruption of government officials.

.“Do not kill” From an economic point of view, murder is an irreparable loss for society, one of the most serious crimes. If stolen property can somehow be replenished through, say, more intensive labor, then a murdered entrepreneur is a completely irreparable loss. It is obvious, therefore, that the economy of a society where the commandment “thou shalt not kill” is fulfilled has significantly greater advantages than the economy of a society in which this commandment is not fulfilled. Crime in Russia has reached alarming proportions. In terms of murder rates, we rank third in the world, behind only Colombia and South Africa.

2.3 Japan

Why is Japan's economy thriving despite the fact that Japan is not a Christian country?

The Japanese also follow another Biblical commandment, “thou shalt not steal,” and pay taxes faithfully (see Appendix 5).

The Japanese economy has the same laws as the economy of, say, Hong Kong or Russia.

Take care of the goods. Winning companies take much greater care of their products than other companies.

Always think about your customers. Winning companies constantly think about their customers. They have special teams that study not only the needs of customers today, but also the trends in their lifestyle in the future.

Conclusion

List of used literature

1.Ambartsumova, E.M. Geography. Big reference book / E.M. Ambartsumova, V.V. Barabanov. - M.: Bustard, 2004. - 172 p.

2.Afanasyev, V.G. Fundamentals of philosophical knowledge / V.G. Afanasiev. - M.: Mysl, 1976. - 316 p.

Tishkov, V.A. Peoples and religions of the world. Encyclopedia / V.A. Tishkov. - M.: 1999. - 695 p.

Munchaev, Sh.M. Religion. History and modernity / Sh.M. Munchaev. - M.: 1998. - 20 p.

Tikhonravov, Yu.V. Religions of the world / Yu.V. Tikhonravov. - M.: 1996. - 20 p.

Rutkevich, E.D. Religion and society / E.D. Rutkevich. - M.: 1996. - 339 p.

Ethnology / ed. E.V. Miskova, N.L. Mehedova. - M.: 2005. - 196 p.

Wikipedia. #"justify"> Annex 1

Spread of Christianity in the world:

Red - 50-100% of the population

Yellow - 11-49% of the population

Blue - 1-10% of the population

Gray - 0-0.9% of the population

Fig.1. Spread of Christianity in the world

Fig.2. Christianity icons

Appendix 2

Red - Shiites, green - Sunnis, blue - Ibadis.

Fig.1. Spread of Islam in the world

Appendix 3

Table 1

Religion Time and place of origin Number of adherents, million people Countries of distribution Christianity 1st century AD, Palestine 1900 Catholicism 1058 Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, Latin American countries, USA, Philippines Orthodoxy 174 Russia, countries of the South And Vostoch. Europe, GeorgiaProtestantism469Great Britain, Northern countries. Europe and the Baltics, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Australia, New ZealandIslamVII century, Arabian Peninsula1033Sunnism857Countries of the Middle East and North. Africa, Center Asia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Brunei, Albania, in Russia - Bashkiria, Tatarstan, rep. North CaucasusShiism165Iran, Azerbaijan, Iraq, YemenBuddhismVI century. BC, Hindustan Peninsula339 South, South-East. And Center. Asia, in Russia - Buryatia, Tyva, Kalmykia

Appendix 4

Fig.1 World religions

Appendix 5

Fig.1 Religion in Russia

Fig.2 Religion in Japan

Vanyukova I.A. The influence of religious values ​​on the economy and its development

Statistics about religions

Religion and Economics

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