Outline and Assess Weber’s Account of Protestantism’s Contribution to the Rise of Modernity

Outline and assess Weber’s account of Protestantism’s contribution to the rise of modernity

Max Weber’s various reports on the link between the rise of modernity in protestant countries offers us with a different and thoughtful insight in the ideologies surrounding work of different religions. Max Weber was sent by catholic businessmen to conduct a report on why protestant countries where typically more capitalist in nature in comparison to catholic countries. It is in these reports that he carefully lays down the reasons of why the rise in Protestantism led to a marked rise in capitalism, secularisation and industrialisation; in contrast to how Catholicism delayed the effects of modernity. With the rise in literacy, the bible was more open to interpretation, and as such new branches of religion was born and Protestantism grew. Faith became more individualised and less authority based. This growing split from the Catholic Church led to, what Weber referred to as, ‘the protestant work ethic’ as protestant’s, namely Lutheran’s and Calvinist’s believed in ‘the calling’. These religious groups were comfortable with the notion of profit and believed God’s wish was for us to utilise the talents and opportunities he has given us and work hard as such. This different Christian perspective, one who encouraged the acumination of wealth, led to the rise of capitalism in protestant countries. This growing split between different religious ideologies also led to a more secular ideology in the west, leading to a growing disenchantment amongst religion, further paving the way for the rise in modernity.

On way in which the rise of Protestantism led to a rise in modernity is in the rise of secularisation. Although Weber rarely used the word in his accounts, instead preferring disenchantment, it is clearly a key factor in the rise of modernity that he touches upon. Secularisation has always been part of religion, from the medieval monks who did not take their monastic vows to the biblical secularism of “render unto Caesar what is Caesar and unto God what is God’s. It is essentially a loss of religion, a separation of religion and earth, the worldly and the unworldly. Although, the rise in Protestantism in the west greatly increased the secular nature of the modern world with the rise of Calvinism and Lutheranism. Max Weber writes: ‘The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the 'disenchantment of the world' (Mills, 1946) and Weber defines disenchantment as "the knowledge or belief that . . . there are no mysterious incalculable forces that come into play, but rather that one can, in principle, master all things by calculation" (Mills, 1946). So with the rise in secularisation a loss of the religious ideals that had previously been followed ensued. It results in elements of disenchantment, the