implies the assumption that human beings seek rewards and avoid costs.
Thus, any “rational” choice will be guided by this preference, and his inter-
pretation of religion emerges out of this perspective. He argues that, because
some desired rewards are in limited supply, or remain beyond the capacity
of certain people to achieve, individuals often substitute a “compensator” for
a reward. A compensator is an explanation or proposal for an alternative
manner to obtain a desired reward, often through elaborate and lengthy meth-
ods. Religion serves to provide compensators in the absence or unavailabil-
ity of certain rewards, principally the longing for immortality. Stark writes,
“it usually is necessary to enter into a long-term exchange relationship with
the divine and with divinely inspired institutions, in order to follow the
instructions” on how to achieve the desired goal over the longer term. He
concludes, “churches rest upon these underlying exchange relationships”
(1997a:6–7).
From this premise, Stark deduces axioms such as the idea that less pow-
erful people will be more likely to accept compensators. He also suggests
that, when a religious organization weakens its emphasis on supernatural-
ism and an afterlife, it inevitably weakens itself, due to a diminished ability
to offer the promise of powerful compensators. This explains, he concludes,
why liberal mainstream Christian churches are in decline. It is noteworthy
that this analysis leads Stark to challenge rather than support the secular-
ization thesis. Instead of expecting a general decline of interest in religion,
spurred on by the spread of modernity and scientific knowledge, he argues
that secularization is a self-limiting process. Although some people might
abandon their religious traditions, Stark suggests that their children will likely
be religious. While major religious denominations may decline, new faiths
and traditions will emerge that offer more compelling and supernatural com-
pensators (1997a:18–19). The general logic behind Stark’s argumentation
against secularization is that access to desired rewards will always be lim-
ited, and so compensators will continue to be required in order to pacify dis-
appointed or frustrated desires.
Some of the language Stark employs to describe this approach to religion
reveals the extent to which macroeconomic theoretical models inform the
assumptions of rational choice theory. His explanatory concepts often draw
from the vocabulary of economics. Religious communities are referred to as
“firms.” Those that “specialize” will flourish in the “religious economy.” Those
that fail to offer a compelling enough compensator will decline. He argues
From A Beautiful Mindto the Beautiful Soul • 161