Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/242678 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
African Economic History Working Paper Series No. 49/2019
Publisher: 
African Economic History Network (AEHN), s.l.
Abstract: 
How did Christianity expand in sub-Saharan Africa to become the continent's dominant religion? Using annual panel data on all Christian missions from 1751 to 1932 in Ghana, as well as cross-sectional data on missions for 43 sub-Saharan African countries in 1900 and 1924, we shed light on the spatial dynamics and determinants of this religious diffusion process. Missions expanded into healthier, safer, more accessible, and more developed areas, privileging these locations first. Results are confirmed for selected factors using various identification strategies. This pattern has implications for extensive literature using missions established during colonial times as a source of variation to study the long-term economic effects of religion, human capital and culture. Our results provide a less favorable account of the impact of Christian missions on modern African economic development. We also highlight the risks of omission and endogenous measurement error biases when using historical data and events for identification.
Subjects: 
Economics of Religion
Religious Diffusion
Path Dependence
Economic Development
Compression of History
Measurement
Christianity
Africa
JEL: 
N30
N37
N95
O12
O15
Z12
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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