By: Denise Johnson on February 18, 2022
Reflections of a brain-dead sloth on the Protestant work ethic, and its interrelationship with the “spirit of Capitalism.” [1] I sit in the silence of my home now that the stalwart construction workers of the past two weeks have ceased their pounding. In an economic season of labor shortages and supply chain issues, the timely…
By: Kayli Hillebrand on February 17, 2022
Well-known German sociologist and historian, Max Weber made significant contributions to the fields of social science and cross-cultural studies. In his work, The Protestant Ethic and the “Spirit” of Capitalism, he argues that the stimulus of capitalism had a spiritual root, namely from the Calvinists. As a book categorized within the social sciences, the historical…
By: Michael Simmons on February 17, 2022
There’s an old joke in the American South that asks, what’s the difference between a Baptist and Methodist? The punch line? The Methodist will speak to you in the liquor store. This joke always brings a smirk to the most stoic Baptists and Methodists among us. It is funny because it taps on the underlying…
By: Nicole Richardson on February 17, 2022
The Protestant Ethic and the “Spirit” of Capitalism by Max Weber makes the argument that John Calvin’s doctrine of predestination paved the way for the formulation of the protestant work ethic and in doing so birthed the ethos of capitalism. Weber, a German sociologist, fancied himself as a historian of economies. His book offered a…
By: Troy Rappold on February 17, 2022
In Max Weber’s book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, the idea of religion shaping human characteristics, such as industriousness and self-denial, can positively affect the creation of wealth among the citizens of a nation. The premise of this book is immensely fascinating. The interplay of how faith shapes an individual’s work is…
By: Henry Gwani on February 17, 2022
First published in 1904-5, Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism is a modern classic that seeks to address several important issues. First, weber set out to examine the development of the family business in Europe between the 17th century and the 19th century[1]. Family businesses are usually small enterprises which, in…
By: Andy Hale on February 17, 2022
A few fun facts to comb through: The Bible addresses money over 2,172 times. To give us a little comparison, the Bible talks about “believing” 273 times, “praying” 371 times, and “love” 714 times. Jesus spoke of money in 16 of his 38 parables, and 1 out of 7 verses in Matthew, Mark & Luke is about…
By: Jonathan Lee on February 16, 2022
Max Weber, the author of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, discussed the relationship between the economy of modern capitalism to Protestant ethics and beliefs. Weber contends that our “secular and materialistic culture is partly indebted to a spiritual revolution: the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century.”[1] Max Weber was a German sociologist,…
By: Roy Gruber on February 16, 2022
I recall hearing a story years ago that came to mind during this week’s reading. A fisherman rests under a tree in the afternoon after a day where he caught enough fish to feed his family. A businessman from another land comes and asks the fisherman why he is resting when the day still contains…
By: Eric Basye on February 16, 2022
The Protestant Ethic and the ‘Spirit’ of Capitalism and Other Writings is a compilation of essays written by the late Max Weber. As a historian and sociologist, many have argued that his essay, The Protestant Ethic and the ‘Spirit’ of Capitalism, is one of the most influential social science works of our time.[1] Weber notes…
By: Mary Kamau on February 15, 2022
Myles Munroe captures the tragedy of many great things that were never implemented as, The graveyard is the richest place on the surface of the earth because there you will see the books that were not published, ideas that were not harnessed, songs that were not sung, and drama pieces that were never acted.[1] I…
By: Jonathan Lee on February 11, 2022
Steven Pressfield is an American author of historical fiction, non-fiction, and screenplays. He has authored many fictions such as Gates of Fire, Tides of War, Last of the Amazons, and many non-fiction such as The War of Art, Do the Work, and Turning Pro. In his book, The War of Art, Pressfield writes to investigate…
By: Elmarie Parker on February 11, 2022
We read two fascinating books on the creative process this week. In The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Steven Pressfield tackles the opposing psychological and spiritual dimensions of resistance and creativity.[1] His book is classified by the Library of Congress under their large Religion, Psychology, and Philosophy…
By: Denise Johnson on February 11, 2022
Spaghetti vomit and the fear of red ink sums up my anxiety surrounding writing. One might ask what spaghetti and red ink have in common. For me, spaghetti is the best image I can produce to describe my since of what I generate on a page and red ink is the teacher’s dreaded criticism of…
By: Henry Gwani on February 10, 2022
As the title suggests, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is the remarkable memoir of multiple-award-winning novelist, Stephen King. The bestselling author, who sold 2.7 million books in the USA in 2018[1], may be described as the Shakespeare of contemporary American fiction, with decades of experience writing novels within several genres, including but not…
By: Nicole Richardson on February 10, 2022
My head is spinning by the speed of life happening. Which seems ironic considering how the pandemic seems to have stalled the forward motion in the church in general, and the church I serve specific. The church I currently serve called me to lead them to radical change. And we were on the precipice to…
By: Roy Gruber on February 10, 2022
“Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.”[1] So ends Stephen King’s memoir on the craft of writing. Sounds great. Meanwhile, whether someone wants to write the next great novel or a weekly blog post for a doctoral…
By: Andy Hale on February 10, 2022
When the King of Horror, author credited with over 60 novels, 200 short stories, and countless films/TV series, the creative mind behind diverging stories like The Shining and The Shawshank Redemption, writes a book on writing, it is most likely going to be a master’s class. In On Writing, King argued, “If you want to be a…
By: Kayli Hillebrand on February 9, 2022
How does one write well? How does an author find their voice? How does one write? These were some of the questions we set out to explore this week in the readings of Stephen King’s On Writing and Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art. Both classified under the general literature genre and incorporating elements of…
By: Troy Rappold on February 9, 2022
Stephen King’s, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a two-in-one book that combines personnel memoir plus a practical guide for writers to improve their craft. The first section of the book, “On Writing” is more personal history than writing tips—although even here he manages to dispense writing advice as he recounts his youth…
