Anthony Gill – författare

Nowhere has the relationship between state and church been more volatile in recent decades than in Latin America. This book explains why Catholic leaders in some countries came to oppose dictatorial rule and, equally important, why many did not. Using historical and statistical evidence from 12 countries, Gill for the first time uncovers the causal connection between religious competition and the rise of progressive Catholicism. In places where evangelical Protestantism and "spiritist" sects made inroads among poor Catholics, Church leaders championed the rights of the poor and turned against authoritarian regimes to retain parishioners. Where competition was minimal, bishops maintained good relations with military rulers. Applying economic reasoning to an entirely new setting, the book offers a theory of religious competition that dramatically revises our understanding of church-state relations.

This book proposes that using two or more management science methodologies in the same intervention is likely to produce a richer picture for "seeing and understanding the complex web of relationships and interconnectivities" which is likely to lead to better decision taking by managers and workers. This is what is meant by "multimethodology." In conclusion, the book explores several theoretical and philosophical perspectives on combining methodologies from different paradigms, as well as presenting many actual examples from practice.

The issue of religious liberty has gained ever-increasing attention among policy makers and the public. Whereas politicians have long championed the idea of religious freedom and tolerance, the actual achievement of these goals has been an arduous battle for religious minorities. What motivates political leaders to create laws providing for greater religious liberty? In contrast to scholars who argue that religious liberty results from the spread of secularization and modern ideas, Anthony Gill argues that religious liberty results from interest-based calculations of secular rulers. Using insights from political economists, Gill develops a theory of the origins of religious liberty based upon the political and economic interests of governing officials. Political leaders are most likely to permit religious freedom when it enhances their own political survival, tax revenue, and the economic welfare of their country. He explores his theory using cases from British America, Latin America, Russia, and the Baltic states.