ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an empirical picture of the state of philanthropic giving in the predominantly Muslim population of Turkey. Building on the work of human capital by Gary Becker, for Laurence Iannaccone the very process of religious practice and the production of religious satisfaction there in creates a distinct new form of social skill accumulation which he calls religious human capital (RHC). In its simplest form, the social capital (SC) argument asserts that long-term maintenance of good working relationships geared towards working together for a purpose render many otherwise unattainable objectives practicable with much less difficulty. What differentiates religious or spiritual capital from its rivals or complementary concepts could still be its intimate and direct link to one's fundamental identity definitions. Muslim religious practices are constrained first by context as well as the practicality of community pressures.
