IRES aims to enhance our comprehension of the connections between religion, economy, and society. The institute achieves this by fostering an interdisciplinary approach to the study of religion involving economists, sociologists, and other social scientists. This is achieved through various means, such as scholarly publications, research seminars, training workshops, conferences, courses, online resources, and public lectures.
IRES was founded at Chapman University in September 2009 by Dr. Laurence Iannaccone. Over time, IRES has become the home of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Culture (ASREC) and a partner of the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), thereby establishing itself as the center of a rapidly expanding international network of scholars and students.
Ongoing activities of IRES include:
Annual ASREC Conference
Graduate Student Workshops
Publications
Courses on the Study of Religion