Abstract:
The influence of religion upon economy is considered in two different ways: the majority of foreign authors follow positive empirical approach, but national papers usually have normative and philosophical nature. On the author’s opinion, the main cause of such lag in empirical investigations of religion is the deformation of basic methodological principles, which leads to the idea of religious monopoly. The author formulates the methodological principles of theoretical research of religion in the economy, reveals the origins, forms and negative consequences of religious monopoly. The paper shows that religious pluralism is a necessary prerequisite of comprehensive empirical research.
