Tag: Max Weber
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Max Weber Was Wrong (About Capitalism)
Public Discourse: Max Weber Was Wrong – Samuel Greg … Second, the empirical evidence disproving Weber’s connection between Protestantism and the emergence of capitalism is considerable. Even Catholic critics of modern capitalism have had to concede that “the commercial spirit” preceded the Reformation by at least two hundred years. From the eleventh century onward, the…
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The Evangelical Work Ethic
Christianity Today: The Evangelical Work Ethic Forget Weber. We don't need social science to know that God cares about our work. … … American evangelicals have been rediscovering the precious truth that all honest work serves as a spiritual calling to fruitful and worshipful service (Gen. 2:15; Col. 3:22-24). That means everyone – not just…
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Holy relevance (Religion and economics)
Economist: Holy relevance Faith can influence economic behaviour—but not always directly AS PROTESTANT Europe, in its own eyes virtuous and thrifty, wrestles with the debt problems of the continent’s Catholic and Orthodox countries, the idea that religious affiliation may influence the way people save, work and spend is more appealing than ever. The toppling of…
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“Is the Work Ethic Worn Out?” Mary Jacobs
From the Dallas Morning News: Is the work ethic worn out? (HT: Presbyweb) The article leads off by saying: If you don't like the work ethic, blame the Protestants. As the theory goes, Protestant ministers greased the wheels of the Industrial Revolution, preaching hard work as a path to salvation, thus priming the masses to…
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“The Victory of Reason” Book Review
We all know how capitalism came to be. Thrifty Reformed Protestants planted seeds in the Sixteenth Century. The much-touted "Protestant Work Ethic" sanctioned hard work, frugality, and wise investment. As these thrifty Protestants became successful and the secularizing effects of the Enlightenment took place, capitalism began to enter full bloom. This thesis has been taught…