Modeling Salvation at the Crossroads of Philosophy and Economics
S. Aaron Hegde, Maria Paleologou

Abstract
We propose a novel approach to modeling salvation that does not deny the basic principles of belief in God and adherence to the divine moral code traditionally tied to salvation eligibility. Rather, it opens up salvation to a wider spectrum of believers who do not necessarily follow the divine moral law but other secular moral systems. Using basic principles of economics to understand commodities markets along with the assumption that the religious realm behaves as any other market, salvation is analyzed as a commodity offered. The rules of engagement, namely who gets this commodity and at what price, would have to be dictated by the market based on interaction between the supplier and the buyer of the commodity. Within the monotheistic religious traditions, God, the single agent supplier responsible for the distribution of salvation, behaves as a monopolist and also considers for salvation those buyers/believers practicing secular moral codes.

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