{"id":16944,"date":"2018-03-08T13:17:36","date_gmt":"2018-03-08T21:17:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=16944"},"modified":"2018-03-08T13:17:36","modified_gmt":"2018-03-08T21:17:36","slug":"the-shadow-side-of-a-work-ethic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/the-shadow-side-of-a-work-ethic\/","title":{"rendered":"The Shadow Side of a Work Ethic"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s an intimidating book, isn\u2019t it? We\u2019ve all heard of it, we\u2019ve all talked about it, and it\u2019s a cultural reference point. The Protestant Ethic and the \u201cSpirit\u201d of Capitalism<\/em> by Max Weber has generated enormous scholarship, literary-critical response, as well as discussion within popular culture. And yet, this is a book that I had never read before and I suspect I am not alone. Originally published around 1905, this is a book that has stood the test of time, as every generation has wrestled with it in their own way.<\/p>\n

The first point that I would like to make is that this book is more nuanced than it is sometimes given credit for. Max Weber was interested in exploring the way that Protestant (especially Calvinist) spirituality led its practitioners out into the world and the marketplace, as an extension of their religious faith. He draws on the Christian \u201cascetic\u201d tradition, whereby people forgo earthly comforts or pleasures in order to discipline their bodies, minds and spirits for God. This is the basis of what Weber wants to draw out.<\/p>\n

He discusses the classic Catholic monastic tradition, in which he identifies the \u201cspiritual aristocracy of the monks, who stood outside and above the world\u201d (83). And then Weber suggests that instead of this other-worldly asceticism, that it be replaced by the \u201csaints in<\/em> the world, predestined by God from eternity\u2026 (which) was more awe-inspiriting than that which outwardly cut off the medieval monk from the world.\u201d[1]<\/a> Weber calls this \u201cthe sanctification of life\u201d[2]<\/a>, and lifts up the claims of Richard Baxter in saying, \u201cwork hard in your calling.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

Weber is calling on Christians to be spiritually active, not only in church, or in their private life with God, but to let their spiritual strength actually lead them out and fortify their life in the world around them. However, as Matti Beltonen writes, \u201cUnfortunately, Max Weber’s argument was too complicated for the contemporary Western mind and his views were simplified\u2026 to that of the theory which we nowadays recognize as the Weber Thesis.\u201d[4]<\/a> This simplification of Weber\u2019s thesis became the claim that the Protestant religion (through the Reformation) was the root cause<\/em> for the rise of Western capitalism.<\/p>\n

This is reminiscent of the line from Inigo Montoya in the film, The Princess Bride where he says, \u201cYou keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

In the introduction of the 2002 English translation of the book, the editors note the challenge they have. They write, \u201cif Weber\u2019s \u2018thesis\u2019 were self-evidently true, simple, or translucent, it would never have engaged a critical audience in the first place or survived to become a classic\u2026 Weber\u2019s achievement was not to definitively answer a riddle but to stake out a territory fertile of new puzzles\u2026\u201d[6]<\/a> Their point is that while the popular understanding of the Protestant Ethic may be overly simplified, the book provides a rich set of ideas for people to explore and debate.<\/p>\n

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book. Maybe because I am a Protestant, within a Calvinistic tradition. \u00a0Or maybe because I resonate with the ideas of hard work within a calling, and of the virtues of self-discipline and delayed gratification. All of these sound familiar to me and a reminder of important and good ways to order one\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Weber draws heavily on Richard Baxter, the English Puritan leader and quotes him as saying, \u201coutside of a well-marked calling the accomplishments of a man are only casual and irregular, and he spends more time in idelenss than at work.\u201d[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

But then, the idea of working hard out of a sense of calling, which is so attractive to me, also leads quickly to the dark side of my own personality and leadership. As we read last week in McIntosh and Rima, \u201cfor each of us the particulars will be different, but the basic process will be essentially the same.\u201d[8]<\/a> For me, I often work in order to please others. I work in order to \u201cshow God\u201d how dedicated I am. I work at the expense of friendships, of family, and of time for myself. On my day off, or even on vacation, it is so hard to step away from my cell phone or my email or to check in on the people in my care.<\/p>\n

One example is Monday of this past week. I had my kids with me on my \u201cday off\u201d, so what did we do? In the morning, we went to the church where they played while I cleaned out my office after a hectic Sunday. Then, we went together to visit a woman who is dying from cancer and some other friends from the church. Then, later that night, I brought my kids to visit another woman who is dying and to have them play with her grandchildren while I counseled with her husband and sons. At the end of that same night, I topped off my day off by hosting a \u201cbible study in a bar\u201d, and led a theological discussion with a dozen people who showed up.<\/p>\n

This is the shadow side of the Protestant work ethic. This is the shadow side of working \u201cout of my calling\u201d. Weber writes, \u201cwasting time is therefore the first and most serious of all sins. The span of life is infinitely short and precious, and must be used to \u2018secure\u2019 one\u2019s own calling. Loss of time through socializing, \u2018idle talk\u2019, luxurious living, even more sleep than is required for health\u2026 is morally, absolutely reprehensible.\u201d[9].<\/a>\u00a0 And if I’m honest, then I’ll say that this sounds familiar.<\/p>\n

I am left with more questions than answers after reading through this book. Even in attempting to understand the complexities of Weber\u2019s argument, I still wonder if its right. I want to live in the world and to express my life with God in all that I do. And yet, the truth is that for myself and many of the other \u201cgood Protestants\u201d that I know, it can feel like a hamster wheel that is hard to get off of. What if I found a way not to run at this same pace? What would it reflect about my spirituality or my sense of calling? These are the questions that persist after reading this forceful book.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Max Weber,\u00a0The Protestant Ethic and the \u201cSpirit\u201d of Capitalism<\/em>\u00a0(London: Penguin, 2002), 83.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Max Weber,\u00a0The Protestant Ethic and the \u201cSpirit\u201d of Capitalism<\/em>\u00a0(London: Penguin, 2002), 85.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Max Weber,\u00a0The Protestant Ethic and the \u201cSpirit\u201d of Capitalism<\/em>\u00a0(London: Penguin, 2002), 107.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Matti Beltonen, \u201cCultura Historica,\u201d www.culturahistorica.es, 2008,\u00a0http:\/\/www.culturahistorica.es\/peltonen\/max_weber.pdf<\/a>\u00a0(accessed March 8, 2018).<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Max Weber,\u00a0The Protestant Ethic and the \u201cSpirit\u201d of Capitalism<\/em>\u00a0(London: Penguin, 2002), ix.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Max Weber,\u00a0The Protestant Ethic and the \u201cSpirit\u201d of Capitalism<\/em>\u00a0(London: Penguin, 2002), 109.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Gary L McIntosh and Samuel D. Rima, Sr.,\u00a0Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction<\/em>\u00a0(Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997), 62.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Max Weber,\u00a0The Protestant Ethic and the \u201cSpirit\u201d of Capitalism<\/em>\u00a0(London: Penguin, 2002), 107.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s an intimidating book, isn\u2019t it? We\u2019ve all heard of it, we\u2019ve all talked about it, and it\u2019s a cultural reference point. The Protestant Ethic and the \u201cSpirit\u201d of Capitalism by Max Weber has generated enormous scholarship, literary-critical response, as well as discussion within popular culture. And yet, this is a book that I had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1187,11],"class_list":["post-16944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-max","tag-weber","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16944"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16944\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16945,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16944\/revisions\/16945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}