Religion and the Rise of Capitalism: A Historical Study

Tawney, an economic historian, examines the influence of faith on the current (in his case the 1920s revised in the 1930s) economic world. Specifically, he focuses on the rise of individualistic capitalism.

He describes the transition from the era when usury was sin, and making money from money was contrary to the tenets of faith; to an era when Puritan development separated church and economy completely. Hard work and self-reliance became virtues while sloth and dependence became vices.

The book is beautifully written with exquisite prose that enlivens the history as it's presented. I am also happy to say it is a book that sent me to the dictionary on many occasion

Skipped around. Surprised by his descriptions of (1) the impact on vast wealth on Spain and (2) the power of the Low Countries through their international markets.
(1) influx of so much money into the country led to their decline. Prices increased beyond control. Before the era when currency was common and economic/spending policy tracked, so they never really understood where the country stood economically. Also, one failed shipment could lead to enormous economic shocks. - Need to compare to the Wallerstein.

paperback

A classic of political economy that traces the influence of religious thought on capitalism

In one of the true classics of twentieth-century political economy, R. H. Tawney addresses the question of how religion has affected social and economic practices. He tracks the influence of religious thought on capitalist economy and ideology since the Middle Ages, shedding light on the question of why Christianity continues to exert a unique role in the marketplace. In so doing, the book offers an incisive analysis of the morals and mores of contemporary Western culture.

Religion and the Rise of Capitalism is more pertinent now than ever, as today the dividing line between the spheres of religion and secular business is shifting, blending ethical show more considerations with the motivations of the marketplace.

By examining the period that saw the transition from medieval to modern theories of social organization, Tawney clarifies the most pressing problems of the end of the century. In tough, muscular, richly varied prose, he tells an absorbing and meaningful story. And in his new introduction, which may well be a classic in its own right, Adam Seligman details Tawney's background and the current status of academic thought on these issues, and he provides a comparative analysis of Tawney with Max Weber that will at once delight and inform readers. show less