BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//AMSE//Event Calendar//FR CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:event-11233@amse-aixmarseille.fr DTSTAMP:20260415T214742Z CREATED:20260415T214742Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260415T214742Z STATUS:CONFIRMED SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Development and political economy seminar - Eduardo Montero DTSTART:20241108T123000Z DTEND:20241108T134500Z DESCRIPTION:How do economic costs affect religious group membership\, and h ow do religious organizations respond to exogenous changes in membership co sts? We study these questions in the context of the Seventh-Day Adventist ( SDA) church in Sub-Saharan Africa. The SDA church prohibits or strongly dis courages tobacco\, coffee\, and tea production\, leading opportunity costs of membership to vary based on local crop suitability and global prices. We construct a measure of SDA membership opportunity cost that varies over ti me and space. Using detailed church data alongside SDA member surveys\, we analyze responses by both members and the church itself. We find that incre ased opportunity cost of membership leads to fewer new memberships\, and mo re self-reports of struggle and doubt about spiritual beliefs among current members. In turn\, the church pursues offsetting responses\, establishing educational institutions (generating new benefits of membership) and potent ially reducing emphasis on some religious tenets (reducing the costs of mem bership). This study provides new insights that individuals and religious o rganizations actively respond to economic incentives in the religious marke tplace.\\n\\nContact: Timothée Demont: timothee.demont[at]univ-amu.frHabi ba Djebbari: habiba.djebbari[at]univ-amu.fr\n\nPlus d'informations: https:/ /amse-aixmarseille.fr/en/events/eduardo-montero-0 LOCATION:Îlot Bernard du Bois - Amphithéâtre\, AMU - AMSE\, 5-9 boulevar d Maurice Bourdet\, 13001 Marseille URL;VALUE=URI:https://amse-aixmarseille.fr/en/events/eduardo-montero-0 CONTACT:Timothée Demont: \;timothee.demont[at]univ-amu.frHabiba Djebba ri: habiba.djebbari[at]univ-amu.fr TRANSP:OPAQUE END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR