Ora et Guberna. The Economic Impact of the Rule of St. Benedict in Medieval England

Within the turmoil of the Norman Conquest, did religious institutions affect the economic outcomes of their land? Exploiting historical data about the changes of holdings’ landlords occurred after the Conquest, we compare the economic performance of estates controlled by different types of lords. Holdings controlled by Benedictine Monasteries (vis-`a–vis secular lords) experienced a higher growth rate in productive capacity. We explore several potential mechanisms, showing that the effect is driven by holdings where the superior layer of the feudal structure remains Benedictine. We suggest that the effect is partially due to the governance structure of Benedictine monasteries.