# Rachel M. McCleary ![Rachel McCleary](/sites/g/files/omnuum7716/files/styles/hwp_1_1__960x960_scale/public/mccleary/files/linderpix-30776_240x330.jpg?itok=QirKlMkX) **Rachel M. McCleary** is Associate, Economics Department, Harvard University, and Visiting Professor, Universidad Francisco Marroquin. Rachel holds a doctorate in moral philosophy, University of Chicago. Rachel’s scholarly work in philosophy focuses on issues of moral agency, consciousness, and reasoning. Her most recent work on the topic is the nature agency for beatified and canonized children and youth by the Catholic Church as martyrs. Her contributions to the study of the political economy of religion examine the influence of religious beliefs and practices on human productivity, economic growth, and the maintenance of political institutions such as democracy. [Curriculum Vitae](https://mccleary.scholars.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum7716/files/2026-01/McCleary%20CV%202025%2012%2031.pdf) [Publicity Photos (.zip)](/file_url/113) ### Princeton University Press ![the_wealth_of_religions-rev3.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum7716/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/mccleary/files/the_wealth_of_religions-rev3.jpg?itok=g-dpMGtJ) ### Rachel McCleary meets Pope Francis on October 6, 2022 ![020530860](/sites/g/files/omnuum7716/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/mccleary/files/01973_06102022_rachel_pope_francis.jpg?itok=MTFB_Qe1) ## Recent Publications Download 4 citations download- [BibTeX](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=4&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters=&&&format=bibtex) - [EndNote X3 XML](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=4&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters=&&&format=endnote8) - [EndNote 7 XML](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=4&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters=&&&format=endnote7) - [Endnote tagged](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=4&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters=&&&format=tagged) - [Marc](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=4&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters=&&&format=marc) - [PubMedId](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=4&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters=&&&format=pubmed_id) - [RIS](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=4&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters=&&&format=ris) ### Forthcoming McCleary, Rachel M. “[Protestant Doctrinal Heterodoxy and Heterogeneity in Guatemala, 1880s-1950s](/publications/protestan-theological-heterodoxy-and-heterogeneity-guatemala-1880s-1950s)”. In *Roots of Underdevelopment In Latin America Edited by Felipe Valencia Caicedo*. Springer, n.d. McCleary, Rachel M. “[Protestant Doctrinal Heterodoxy and Heterogeneity in Guatemala, 1880s-1950s](/publications/protestan-theological-heterodoxy-and-heterogeneity-guatemala-1880s-1950s)”. In *Roots of Underdevelopment In Latin America Edited by Felipe Valencia Caicedo*. Springer, n.d. - add\_circle do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract At the beginning of the twentieth century, Pentecostalism disrupted the U.S. religion market. Charismatic beliefs and practices, particularly the emphasis on baptism of the Holy Spirit and miraculous physical healing, comingled with the Wesleyan holiness... ### 2022 McCleary, Rachel M., and Robert J. Barro. “[Martyrs of Latin America, 1854-2022](/publications/martyrs-latin-america-1854-2022)”. *Fe Y Libertad*, 2022. McCleary, Rachel M., and Robert J. Barro. “[Martyrs of Latin America, 1854-2022](/publications/martyrs-latin-america-1854-2022)”. *Fe Y Libertad*, 2022. - add\_circle do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract Pope John Paul II began the recent trend of beatifying martyrs and confessors of Latin America. Together, Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis have beatified 111 martyrs and 53 confessors in Latin America. These numbers represent 87% and 72%... McCleary, Rachel M. “[Catholic Child and Youth Martyrs, 1588-2022](/publications/catholic-child-and-youth-martyrs-1588-2022)”. *Catholic Historical Review* 108, no. 3 (2022): 469-508. McCleary, Rachel M. “[Catholic Child and Youth Martyrs, 1588-2022](/publications/catholic-child-and-youth-martyrs-1588-2022)”. *Catholic Historical Review* 108, no. 3 (2022): 469-508. - add\_circle do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract Child and youth martyrs throughout the history of Christianity are few. New emphasis on their presence in the twentieth century raises questions about the nature of sanctity. Using a new data set on child, adolescent, and youth martyrs beatified and... ### 2020 McCleary, Rachel M., and Robert J. Barro. “[Opening the Fifth Seal Catholic Martyrs and Forces of Religious Competition ](/publications/opening-fifth-seal-catholic-martyrs-and-forces-religious-competition)”. *Journal of Religion and Demography* 7 (2020): 92-122. McCleary, Rachel M., and Robert J. Barro. “[Opening the Fifth Seal Catholic Martyrs and Forces of Religious Competition ](/publications/opening-fifth-seal-catholic-martyrs-and-forces-religious-competition)”. *Journal of Religion and Demography* 7 (2020): 92-122. - add\_circle do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract Since Pope John Paul II's stock-taking of twentieth century martyrs, the Catholic Church has significantly increased the beatification and canonization of martyrs. Not only have the numbers of martyrs increased but the definition of martyrdom has... [ More arrow\_circle\_right ](/publications) ## [Data Sets](/data-sets "Data Sets") **Saints Data** Available in [Excel format](/file_url/116). [Regression Data](/file_url/117). **Religion Adherence Data** Available in [Excel format](/file_url/100). **McCleary Data on Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOS)** [The Codebook](/file_url/101) is available in [Excel](/file_url/102) and the [data file](/file_url/103) in STATA . **McCleary Guatemala Protestant Data** (1882 – 2011) (forthcoming) **McCleary Moreria Data** (forthcoming)