Dr. Robert J. Barro addressed the University on Wednesday night in the 13th annual Joseph Lucia Memorial Lecture Series with a discussion about his recent research interests regarding economics and religion. Nearly 100 students and faculty attended the lecture in the Connelly Cinema to hear the renowned economist.

Dr. Barro is the Robert Waggoner Professor of Economics at Harvard University where he has taught since 1986.

He is also a columnist for Business Week and a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal. He has written a dozen books and over 100 articles on macroeconomic topics. Recent books include “Determinants of Economic Growth and Getting it Right: Markets and Choices in a Free Society” and a new book entitled “Nothing is Sacred: Economics Ideas for the New Millunium.”

Dr. Barro’s recent interests include the interplay among religion, economics and politics. In his talk, Dr. Barro categorized religion and economics into two categories: religion as a dependent variable and as an independent variable. In other words, how religious activity affects economics and how economics affects religious activity.

The Joseph Lucia Lecture Series is named in honor of the late Villanova economics professor who served on the faculty from the 1950s to 1988.

According to Dr. Zeleski of the economics department, Professor Lucia was an active scholar who published several biographies of famous economists.

His plans included inviting guest speakers who were active in the public policy making arena. After Professor Lucia’s untimely death in 1988, the department instituted this lecture series in his honor.

In delivering Wednesday night’s 13th annual Lucia Lecture, Dr. Barro joined a distinguished band of economists who have contributed to this Villanova tradition.