This paper studies when religion can hamper diffusion of knowledge and economic development, and through which mechanism. I examine Catholicism in France during the Second Industrial Revolution (1870–1914). In this period, technology became skill-intensive, leading to the introduction of technical education in primary schools. I find that more religious locations had lower economic development after 1870. Schooling appears to be the key mechanism: more religious areas saw a slower adoption of the technical curriculum and a push for religious education. In turn, religious education was negatively associated with industrial development 10 to 15 years later, when schoolchildren entered the labor market.
Remember that just because something is published doesn't make it right. Most studies actually require statistical analysis, which is why the most trustworthy studies are actually meta-analysis, or even meta-meta-analysis.
For the subject you're trying to learn about, I'd be surprised if there was any actual statistical data to back the claims.