Andrew Clark and Orsolya Lelkes in their paper entitled 'Deliver us from evil: religion as insurance' are basically telling us that believers are happier. Their paper - one of dozens presented at last weeks Royal Economic Society Annual Conference [RES Home] [RES Conference]
Judging by the fact that it seems to concentrate on European data sets - I've only read the abstract - and highlights Catholic and Protestant denominations I'm guessing they refer only to Christianity - hence today's relevance....focuses on the insurance role of religion in buffering the well‐being impact of stressful life events, and the ensuing economic and social implications... ...we show that the religious enjoy higher levels of life satisfaction, and that religion does insure against some adverse life events.
Anyway, happy or not they've got some good tunes! (and they say it's the Devil that always has them...he may have: THIS is why.) I wrote here - the 4th comment on this post on Baldinio's blog yesterday - and now I can't stop singing! Oh happy day...
6 comments:
Jesus Christ Superstar is the only musical I have any time for. 'I don't know how to love him' sang by Yvonne Eliman is just beautiful - okay it was written by Tim Rice and ALW so nothing is perfect.
My 3x great grandfather wrote hymns, I have a photcopy of the front of his book of melodies published by TC Bates of Ludgate Hill in the 1860's - there's no mention of him on Google so I will have to try the British Library one day. I'll write a post about him at some future point.
In the 1871 census as 'Licensed Victualler and author of the songs of Zion'. I like the juxposition of running a pub (which he did for for nearly 30 years) and writing hymns.
* That was me who binned their post, I'd made an error and it didn't make any sense.
Sounds interesting! Strangely enough there were a few holy men in my family line (dad's side - West Country) and yeomen farmers etc. One set up scholarships for local children smart enough for Oxbridge (and here's me dreaming of having enough money!) ;-)
P.S. I got both messages...who hymns...hehehehe
P.P.S. I used to like JCSS a lot, and Godspell.
Whatever the personal opinion of the positive or shortfall of religion and it's part in the history or spiritual well being of any nation, some of the most beautiful music ever written(and today rarely heard)are the hymns and sacred music made for the purpose of praising God.
And I have to admit to being emotionally moved when I hear it.
Perhaps it's time to download some religious music to my pc...
Gildy, I agree entirely - incredibly moving stuff much of it.
I'm a particular fan of church organ music - surely the most powerful instrument in existence: Buxtehude and Bach (Johann Sebastian) then later Mendelssohn to name a few of the greats. Echoing round a church during some Christian liturgy is an incredibly moving experience...coincidentally I mentioned in my Easter post (or maybe it was Baldinio's post) re my epiphany etc and I mentioned curch going etc...well I did a bit of liturgical dancing as well! (swoons at the memory) :-)
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