Money may not buy happiness. But it turns out that the way it’s distributed can affect everything from happiness and a sense of meaning to physical health and mortality.
On this episode, we’ll explore the role economic inequality plays in the wellbeing of individuals and societies, and ask how religion fits into the picture. We’ll talk to psychologist Keith Payne about how our sense of where we stand in society can influence our behavior, our health, and even how religious we are. And we’ll also talk to religious studies scholar Bart Ehrman about Christianity’s complicated relationship with wealth, from the teachings of the historical Jesus to the establishment of modern welfare institutions and the rise of Protestant movements like the Prosperity Gospel.
Keith Payne is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is the author of the books The Broken Ladder and Good Reasonable People. Learn more about his work on his website.
Bart Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the author or editor of over thirty books on Christianity and the New Testament, including Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West. Find out more about his work on his website.
