APPLIED MICRO: From the Death of God to the Rise of Hitler; Professor Sascha O. BECKER (Monash University)

Abstract

Does weakened religiosity lead to the rise of totalitarianism? The Nazi Party set itself up as a political religion, emphasizing redemption, sacrifice, rituals, and communal spirit. This had a major impact on its success: Where the Christian Church only had shallow roots, the Nazis received higher electoral support and saw more party entry. “Shallow Christianity” reflects the geography of medieval Christianization, which we use as a source of exogenous variation. Importantly, we also find predictive power at the individual level: Within each municipality, the likelihood of joining the Nazi Party was higher for those with less Christian first names.

Date
Thursday, 13 April 2023

Time
4pm to 5.30pm

Venue
Lim Tay Boh Seminar Room; AS2 03-12
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