Andreas Madestam

Title
Born Again: Experimental Evidence on the Economic and Social Impacts of Religious Renewal

Abstract
Pentecostal and Evangelical Christianity is among the world's fastest-growing movements, with more than 600 million adherents and much of its expansion concentrated in the Global South. This paper provides experimental evidence on the economic and social effects of religious renewal. Partnering with a Pentecostal-Evangelical church in Uganda, we study a common outreach activity designed to encourage new membership. Our experimental design identifies who joins when encouraged and estimates the causal effects of joining. Consistent with a club-good view of religious participation, those induced to join become more religiously engaged and experience substantial gains in social networks and earnings. The effects vary by gender, suggesting distinct pathways through which religious renewal can shape economic and social life.