Religion and Economic Action: The Protestant Ethic, the Rise of Capitalism and the Abuses of Scholarship

The idea that capitalism grew out of Puritan values, as unlikely as it seems, has aroused much interest among economic historians. First proposed by Max Weber, the hypothesis gained wide acceptance through the writings of R.H. Tawney. In this bold and hard-hitting essay, Samuelsson cuts through the controversy and convincingly challenges Weber’s hypothesis and many of Tawney’s theories. His vigorous reassessment of the spirit and ethics of both capitalism and Puritanism effectively dismantles the notion of any functional relationship between Christianity and capitalism. First published in Sweden in 1957, Samuelsson’s essay was translated into English in 1961 and had an immediate impact on scholarly debates in the English-speaking world. His work will be of special interest to students of religious history, economics, and political science.