Institutions, the Rise of Commerce and the Persistence of Laws: Interest Restrictions in Islam and Christianity
通过比较伊斯兰教和基督教世界对利息限制的不同演变，解释了中东相对西欧经济发展滞后的原因，发现早期伊斯兰政治权威更依赖宗教合法性，阻碍了商业发展带来的制度变革。
Why was economic development retarded in the Middle East relative to Western Europe, despite the Middle East being far ahead for centuries? A theoretical model inspired and substantiated by the history of interest restrictions suggests that this outcome emanates in part from the greater degree to which early Islamic political authorities derived legitimacy from religious authorities. This entailed a feedback mechanism in Europe in which the rise of commerce led to the relaxation of interest restrictions while also diminishing the Church's ability to legitimise political authorities. These interactions did not occur in the Islamic world despite equally amenable economic conditions.