By: Richard Rhoads on February 23, 2014
With the United States having 50 independent primarily self governing States, you would assume that many have similar laws. Yet, for many states within the union, old bizarre laws still remain on the books. Here’s a few which may provide some laughter or in some cases, tears. In Ohio, it is unlawful for a…
By: Garrick Roegner on February 22, 2014
A few years ago, my church was picketed within the span of a month by both anti-gay protestors and pro-gay protestors. Our church members kindly offered both groups free coffee. We are currently, at least in the USA, and probably in the wider evangelical global church, caught up in a debate over sexuality. It has…
By: Becky Stanley on February 22, 2014
When a child is conceived the first inquiry often is not whether it he or she is healthy but whether the tiny human is a male or a female. And it is the sex of the child that goes on to define an individual’s primary identity. Society by and large continues to live by the…
By: Miriam Mendez on February 22, 2014
My copy of the book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is almost all marked with yellow highlighter. And almost every three or four pages has post-it tags sticking out of the pages. There is a reason why my book is marked in this manner. Is it because: (a) the yellow markings are…
By: Michael Badriaki on February 22, 2014
Weber’s book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, was intriguing as another foundational and classical resource of understanding how modern western society might have gotten to where it’s at today. History seems replete with evidence of the West’s influence on religion and market economics. Polanyi corroborates the fact that the modern “market society…
By: Mitch Arbelaez on February 22, 2014
The work of frontier missions is the work of bringing the Gospel to a people who have not yet heard, nor have had any ability to hear, for there is no culturally identifiable Christian witness among that people group. In this work of frontier missions we look for the wonderful effects of the Gospel…
By: John Woodward on February 21, 2014
The underlying theme in Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is that capitalism needed a new ethic. The very nature of capitalism to the pre-modern Christian mind was irrational—“where a man exists for the sake of his own business, instead of the reserve”[i] – and “incomprehensible and mysterious, so unworthy and…
By: Liz Linssen on February 21, 2014
“The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” (2 Thess. 3:10) Weber takes the reader on a journey to understanding the strength of the connection between the drive of religious asceticism (within Calvinism, Pietism, Methodism and Baptist denominations), labour, and the rise of the spirit of capitalism over the last four centuries in…
By: rhbaker275 on February 21, 2014
There is an advertisement running currently by the venture capital branch of a large banking firm. The ad sequence follows an obviously entrepreneurial type person through several scenes of a busy workplace environment. Each scene depicts organized activity, unified effort, and the rapid transition through several scenes creates a sense of the purpose, growth, and…
By: Carol McLaughlin on February 21, 2014
Written more than one hundred years ago, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism requires the context and perspective of its translator, Talcott Parsons, even if that translation took place more than fifty years prior! I am realizing that to adequately translate material, whether it is from German to English or from modern to…
By: Telile Fikru Badecha on February 21, 2014
One of the things my ministry in partnership with the local churches in Ethiopia has been doing over the years is training local evangelists, church leaders, and young people in the church to become self-supported ministers. My ministry adapted the concept of “tentmaking initiatives” based on the apostle Paul’s mission strategy. Our tentmaking strategy benefits…
By: Julie Dodge on February 21, 2014
Once upon a time, a long time ago, a child misbehaved. The exact misbehavior is long forgotten. But at bedtime, as his mother tucked him into bed, she told him to be careful. If he was not good tomorrow, the bogeyman might come and steal the child away. Perhaps in a sack. Perhaps on a…
By: Bill Dobrenen on February 21, 2014
I have some pet peeves; we all do. Two of mine came up in this week’s reading. These pet peeves are related to the words “blessing” and “calling.” In my present understanding, these words are often misunderstood, particularly in Christian circles. Sometimes I sneeze. Sometimes I sneeze several times in a row. In the American…
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…
By: Stefania Tarasut on February 20, 2014
Why are we so afraid of context? Why are we so uncomfortable with contextual theology? Why do we assume that if something is contextual it is also weak and unbiblical? Why do we contextualize some things… and refuse to contextualize others… like it’s ok to contextualize stoning in the Bible, but not women’s role in…
By: Stefania Tarasut on February 20, 2014
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism By: Max Weber Nothing just begins, but every “new thing” has its roots into yesterday and tomorrow’s “new things” begin today. The spirit of capitalism was born the moment Adam and Eve were escorted out of the Garden of Eden. This spirit was not born with the…
By: Fred Fay on February 20, 2014
Last week I had a coffee appointment with a man named Dave. I had totally forgotten who he was and why we were to meet. He reminded me that he sent me a book to read. I remember receiving it but had not been able to read it yet. This was awkward. I forgot who…
By: Sandy Bils on February 20, 2014
Last week the Oscar-winning actress Ellen Page was trending in all news and social media channels. At the Human Right Campaigns– conference “Time to thrive” she came out as a lesbian. The youtube video was seen by over 4.000.000 viewers after just one week. (here is the full text of the speech) I don’t want…
By: Sharenda Roam on February 20, 2014
Adrian Thatcher, in his book “God, Sex and Gender: An Introduction,” approaches the topics of sexuality and gender from a theological approach while Andrew Marin, in his book “Love is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community,” takes a personal look at the GLBT community and its relationship to contemporary Christians. Thatcher discusses…
By: Chris Ellis on February 20, 2014
Today’s theme music is brought to you by Salt-N-Pepper. Our D.Min. cohort has finally gotten to one of the most challenging and divisive topics for contemporary Christians: sexuality (specifically homosexuality). Our assigned texts were God, Sex and Gender: An Introduction by Adrian Thatcher and Love is an Orientation by Andrew Marin. Thatcher lays out an…
