Calling Analysis in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

The Protestant concept of the “calling” refers to one’s secular occupation and argues that the premiere way for one to serve God is by laboring in the work God assigned to them. Martin Luther developed the idea of the Christian’s calling as a response to Catholic monasticism, but it was eventually adopted by every Protestant tradition. Calvinism elaborated on the idea by arguing that faithful labor in one’s calling was the primary mark of salvation.

Calling Quotes in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

The The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism quotes below are all either spoken by Calling or refer to Calling. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Religion and the “Capitalist Spirit” Theme Icon

The monastic style of life is now not only completely worthless as a means of justification before God (that much is self-evident), [Luther] also sees it as a manifestation unloving egoism and an abdication from secular duties. In contrast, labor in a secular calling appears as the outward expression of Christian charity.

Related Characters: Max Weber (speaker), Martin Luther

Page Number and Citation: 29

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, Weber describes Martin Luther’s move away from Catholic asceticism, which leads him to form his concept of the calling, that argues that one best serves God by simply laboring in their own secular occupation. Luther’s rejection of the monastic ascetic lifestyle is significant since he himself was part of the tradition, living for many years as a German monk. Luther’s rejection of monastic asceticism, which teaches that Christians should withhold themselves from worldly pleasures and secular pursuits, effectively inverts the Catholic view of the world. Whereas Catholics believe that certain aspects of life are sacred (i.e., the sacraments and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus temp

Tireless labor in a calling was urged as the best possible means of attaining this self-assurance. This and this alone would drive away religious doubt and give assurance of one’s state of grace.

Related Characters: Max Weber (speaker), Martin Luther

Page Number and Citation: 77-78

Explanation and Analysis:

Weber states that Calvinism’s doctrine of predestination produces a deep-seated insecurity in its adherents about their own salvation. As a result, Calvinists try to prove their elected status to themselves by taking the concept of the calling to an extreme, obsessively working so as to please God and demonstrate their reformed nature. The Calvinists’ deep-seated insecurity rises from a purely religious question, yet creates a tangible outcome. This demonstrates religion’s ability to not only shape a person’s inner emotional life, but also their outward practical life. Calvinism takes Luther’s idea of the calling further than Luther by making one’s secular Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. U

For the Baptists sects the intensity of their interest in the economic aspects of the calling was considerably increased by various factors. One of these was the refusal to accept state office, which was originally regarded as a religious duty deriving from rejection of the world […] and the strict refusal to bear arms and swear on oath disqualified them from public office.

Related Characters: Max Weber (speaker), Martin Luther

Page Number and Citation: 102

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, Weber states that the Baptists refuse to participate in politics or war, leaving business as their only option to pursue their own ambitions. While this increases their commitment to the capitalist spirit, the Baptists’ refusal to participate in public service seems to run contrary to Luther’s idea for the calling. Luther’s hope was that the calling would move Christians to participate in society and work with and amongst all the people God created. The Baptists’ rejection of politics and war ironically bars them from participating in occupations that outwardly serve other people or directly benefit society. While participating in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam offici

This ascetic style of life, however, as we have seen, meant a rational shaping of one’s whole existence in obedience to God’s will. And this asceticism was no longer [merely good], but could be expected of everyone wanting to be sure of salvation. This rationalization of the conduct of life in the world with a view to the beyond is the idea of calling characteristic of ascetic Protestantism.

Related Characters: Max Weber (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 104

Explanation and Analysis:

Weber states that fear of God’s judgment and commitment to one’s calling effectively forces asceticism on every faithful Protestant, causing them to carefully monitor and order each aspect of their life. Notably, this concept of asceticism goes well beyond Catholicism’s monastic understanding of asceticism. Although Catholics teach the value of an ascetic life, they do not demand that anyone adopt that lifestyle. Those who do, such as monks, are highly regarded but not elevated above anyone else. Protestantism’s demand that each person lead an ascetic lifestyle in order to be saved thus represents another massive shift in Christian theology. Since Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut

What is really reprehensible is resting on one’s possessions, enjoyment of wealth with its consequences of idleness and the lusts of the flesh, and particularly distraction from striving for a “holy” life. And it is only because possessions bring with them the danger of this resting that they are dubious. […] according to god’s unambiguously revealed will, it is only action, not idleness and indulgence, that serves to increase his glory. Wasting time is therefore the most serious of all sins.

Related Characters: Max Weber (speaker), Richard Baxter

Page Number and Citation: 106

Explanation and Analysis:

Weber states that, in Puritan theologian Richard Baxter’s view, wealth itself is not the true evil—which, for Catholics, encourages ascetic poverty—but only the enjoyment of wealth and luxury that is evil, since that enjoyment means one is not spending all of their hours and energy working in a calling. This obsession with hard work and avoiding any form of idleness or leisure also represents a clear shift away from monastic asceticism, which holds that meditation and rest are productive in themselves, since such practice leads to a more contemplative life. Although Baxter’s view of sin and virtue invariably leads to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error.

Above and beyond this, however, work is the end purpose of life commanded by God. The Pauline principle “He who will not work, shall not eat,” applies absolutely and to everyone. Unwillingness to work is a symptom of the absence of the state of grace.

Related Characters: Max Weber (speaker), Richard Baxter

Page Number and Citation: 107

Explanation and Analysis:

Weber argues that the logical extension of Baxter’s theology is that work equals salvation, and idleness is thus the sign that a person is damned. Although Baxter himself is remembered as a gentle man, the implications of his view of work and salvation are exceptionally dark, effectively arguing that anyone who is lazy or does not want to spend every hour of their life in labor will go to hell. This argument is a powerful motivator of the capitalist spirit, since it reinforces the capitalist ideal of an unceasing laborer with the formidable threat of eternal torment. Thus, under Puritan Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciu

If we may sum up what has been said so far, then, innerworldly Protestant asceticism works with all it force against the uninhibited enjoyment of possessions; it discourages consumption, especially the consumption of luxuries. Conversely, it has the effect of liberating the acquisition of wealth from the inhibitions of traditionalist ethics; it breaks the fetters on the striving for gain by not only legalizing it, but […] seeing it as directly willed by God.

Related Characters: Max Weber (speaker), Martin Luther, John Calvin

Page Number and Citation: 115

Explanation and Analysis:

Weber summarizes the total effect of Protestantism’s new understanding of asceticism, in that it produces people who see accumulating wealth as their moral duty to God, but refuse to spend or enjoy any of it. This concept of asceticism represents the cumulative effect of Luther’s calling and Calvin’s doctrine of predestination. Weber thus suggests that the main events of Protestant history align to form the capitalist spirit. The ideal Protestant would be a premier capitalist, since his or her entire life is oriented around making money and working in the business world. Because of their moral scruples, Protestants are not Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque erro

Calling Term Timeline in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

The timeline below shows where the term Calling appears in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...primary “social ethic” of a capitalist society is that “one’s duty consists in pursuing one’s calling,” their professional occupation, whatever that may be. However, Weber does not believe this idea rose... (full context)

...ideal capitalist laborer “performs the work as though it were an absolute end in itself—a ‘calling.’” Such a mentality is only produced, however, by a steady “process of education.” Once such... (full context)

...of the capitalist spirit, where work is an end in itself, a divine duty, a “calling”? (full context)

...same economic shift. Instead, Weber believes that one must investigate the Protestant idea of the calling to truly grasp the development of the capitalist spirit. (full context)

Weber remarks that the idea of the calling in modern times has a religious connotation, and the further back one traces the idea... (full context)

...the Christian works for and with his fellow humans. Weber regards this development of the calling as one the most significant “achievements” of the Reformation. However, he denies that Luther himself... (full context)

Notably, Weber argues that the Bible, which Luther believed supported the calling, is primarily traditionalist in its approach towards money. Jesus, especially, teaches his followers to subsist... (full context)

Luther’s view of the calling was new, but steeped in tradition, building upon the German mystics before him. As Luther... (full context)

...belief that life only exists to glorify God, the Calvinists took Luther’s loose concept of calling and made it a “characteristic part of their ethical system.” Thus, within Calvinism, work becomes... (full context)

...was impossible. Instead, the main sign of one’s salvation was their fulfillment of their earthly calling. “Tireless labor” became “the best possible means of attaining this self-assurance.” (full context)

...The consequence of this distrust is that Calvinists must constantly strive to work in their calling, to ensure their life is dedicated to good works, which are “indispensable for salvation.” These... (full context)

...repentance and good works—Calvinists must live their entire lives in action. Their pursuit of their calling, which validates their salvation, is “raised to the level of a system.” Although the Calvinist’s... (full context)

...ideals into their secular occupations. One of Calvinism’s primary contributions to Luther’s idea of the calling was the concept of “putting one’s faith to the test in secular working life.” However,... (full context)

...“passive” Christians, arguing that one may be “elect” and yet not wholly committed to their calling or properly ascetic enough. Such Pietists believe that their “perfection as measured against the [Old... (full context)

...added to the Protestant ascetic tradition by arguing for a life of labor in a calling from a utilitarian viewpoint, spurning the “philosophical speculation” of Luther and Calvin. However, in total,... (full context)

...this, he does not believe Methodism made any significant contribution to the evolution of the calling or development of ascetic practice. (full context)

...themselves can lead to salvation. Although the Baptists do not cling as tightly to the calling as Calvinists do, Weber notes that early Baptist communities ethically refused to participate in politics... (full context)

...supreme sin and threat to the “holy life.” In Baxter’s view, working hard at one’s calling was still the greatest mark of salvation, and thus all people must work, poor or... (full context)

...prayer and contemplation, not labor. What Martin Luther began with his loose concept of the calling, Baxter took to far greater lengths, teaching that laboring in one’s specific field produced the... (full context)

...and irregular,” at risk of “idleness” and losing their virtue. Moreover, Baxter taught that one’s calling must be beneficial to their community by providing a useful service, and must pursue the... (full context)

...society, even for those not religious themselves: “The Puritans wanted to be men of the calling—we, on the other hand, must be.” When asceticism moved from a monastic concept to the... (full context)

Calling Term Analysis

Calling Quotes in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Part 1, Section 3 Quotes

Part 2, Section 1 Quotes

Part 2, Section 2 Quotes

Calling Term Timeline in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism