Innovation and the Medieval Church
Abstract:
Economists have long debated the influence of religion on innovation. Combining historical and modern data, we test the hypothesis that the medieval Catholic Church fostered creativity by linking regions across Latin Christendom and weakening kin-based institutions, thereby enabling the exchange and recombination of ideas. We use the founding of Latin bishoprics (500–1500 CE) as a proxy for the Church’s expansion and measure creativity via the production of notable creatives (authors, inventors, artists) relative to non-creatives (clerics, generals, nobles). Event-study and triple-difference analyses show that bishopric establishment led to a persistent rise in creative output lasting nearly a millennium. Mechanism tests indicate that bishoprics increased regional connectivity, reflected in the geographic mobility of notable individuals, and that creativity rose after bishops attended councils discussing marriage and family legislation, but not after placebo councils. Extending to the modern era, regions with longer Church exposure exhibit higher innovation—patents, inventors, and creatives per capita—and distinct patterns in family structure, social networks, and psychological traits linked to trust, non-conformity, and fairness. Overall, these findings support the idea that modern innovation thrives on the free flow of ideas among diverse minds, shaped by deep historical shifts that continue to influence contemporary social organization.
Organized by: Nathan Nunn
