The more I think about this, the more intrigued I am. Was the Reformation a giant stimulus package for northern Europe, spurring it's economic development over southern Europe for the next few hundred years? Certainly there was some economic effect. The fact that salvation became free means that whatever money was being spent for salvation became available for other purposes. How much was that? I have no idea. Perhaps some northern European cathedrals kept records of their indulgences prior to the Reformation and some actual $$ figures might be teased out of that. But in addition to the effects of salvation becoming free, Protestants abandoned monasteries. Monasteries are expensive both in supporting them from church $$ but also in broader social terms. Well educated monks and nuns spend their lives doing non-productive work in monasteries. Once this monastic class was abolished these same educated young people could turn to other lines of work, expanding social capital. Did the monastic class morph into the class of scientists, mathematicians and engineers? Did Protestant countries develop these classes earlier than Catholic ones? Scotland, that most Protestant country certainly jumped ahead in these fields pretty quickly.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13