Written by: Richard Volzke on February 21, 2014

I appreciate that Weber’s book, The Protestant ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, approaches capitalism from a Christian perspective. The focus of the creation of capitalism was a basic cornerstone for human rights. Weber points out that capitalism is not from the age of Enlightenment, which took place in the 1800s, but from the “Puritan Anglo-American tradition.”[1]  Many tend to look at capitalism through the impact that it has on government and society.  History has shown that capitalism advanced society and brought about both positive and negative change. Society pushes government and businesses to expand and grow capitalism in order to fulfill the needs and wants of the individual.  Then, it is the individual who pushes the market to provide goods and services that make life convenient and pleasurable.  Looking at capitalism from a secular aspect, capitalism doesn’t consider the ethical boundaries or social responsibility with regards to wages or quality of life for the people who produce products or services that societies demand.

Weber approaches capitalism from “the character of religion” and he looks at the way religion and capitalism intertwine within society.[2]  When one understands that capitalism was developed to help society, it drives them to act in a more ethically responsible manner within their business endeavors.   I believe that the church needs to better address that it is intricately responsible for how it operates within the model of capitalism.   Too many churches place little value on running the business side of the church efficiently.  Further, many churches tend to follow society’s practice of: “when we don’t gain immediate benefit or results, then there is no value and we cancel programs.”  The church needs to be ethical in all of its business transactions, but needs to also balance this by remembering the faith component and responsibility it has to better society.  We are starting to see more and more private sector organizations give back to the communities in which they operate, without an expectation for anything in return.  Where the church used to be leading the way in this area, private sector businesses are now stepping up.  While we should all be practicing in this manner, many churches are failing in this regard.  As an executive pastor, one of my primary responsibilities is to ensure best practices and standards are followed with regards to the church’s finances.  There are too many times when I have to push back to the pastoral team, board or individuals because they are not focusing on “the right thing to do” in a specific scenario.

There is a situation right in another local church where a pastor has not been operating in an ethical manner within his particular church.  This has caused many of the church members to leave, he has been removed from the church, and there are now civil and criminal charges pending against him. This type of activity demonstrates to the secular world around us that the church is corrupt and this hampers the witness that the church has to bring people to Christ.  Christ talked about money more than he talked about heaven or hell in the New Testament.  Jesus mentioned wealth, gold, or silver twenty-give times in the Gospels. One in every seven parables dealt with accumulating wealth or riches.

Richard

About the Author

Richard Volzke