Abstract
This paper empirically examines life satisfaction in female Benedictine monasteries in Germany from the perspective of happiness research in economics. A dataset of 154 Benedictine nuns is analyzed.
The main objective is to identify the most important determinants of happiness and to empirically evaluate the hypothesis that these nuns have very high subjective satisfaction with life. The impact of various aspects (such as age, health, religiosity, motivation and fulfillment of basic psychological needs) on life satisfaction is discussed.
The fact that Benedictines are satisfied with their lives might help explain why this organization was remarkably successful in the past and why many monasteries managed to survive on the market for many centuries.