The Center for Western Civilization, Thought & Policy is hosting an event on Thursday, Nov. 29. Professor Jared Rubin of Chapman University will give a lecture titled Rulers, Religion, and Riches: Why the West Got Rich and the Middle East Did Not as an invited guest of faculty from CU Boulder's Economics department.
Professor Rubin's discussion will dissect why the modern economy was born in Europe, rather than the Middle East, when the spread of Islam was far ahead of the spread of religion in Europe. He will argue that religion is not to blame but that the importance of religious legitimacy in Middle Eastern politics was the primary culprit.
Professor Taylor Jaworski of the economics department has prefaced Rubin's lecture with some insight into his area of study. "Jared Rubin is an economic historian of Europe and the Middle East, and a leading expert on the causes of divergence between these regions. His book, Rulers, Religion, and Riches, explores the important question of the role of religion in politics and ultimately how these forces shape the process of economic development," says Professor Jaworski. "Rulers, Religion, and Riches, is a timely contribution to our understanding of long-run economic growth and puts issues facing developing countries today in historical perspective."
Professor Rubin is an associate professor for the George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics and the Co-director of the Insitute for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Society at Chapman. His research focuses on the historical relationships between political and religious institutions and the role that economic development plays between the two. Much of his work has appeared in journals like Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economics & Statistics, Economic Journal, and many others.
Students, faculty, and members of the public are encouraged to attend the lecture. The scheduled presentation will take place in the Hale Science, Room 230, beginning at 5:30 pm. The discussion will be followed by a Q&A session and a small reception that will wrap around 7:30 pm. Please register for the event via the CU Events Calendar.