SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION

SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION

 

Max Weber developed his sociology of religion in his book entitled, “Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” He did not accept economic determinism of Karl Marx. The economic factor, according to Weber, was as Abraham puts it, “one variable, relationship with other, affected by them as, in fact, it, in turn can, affect them.” Weber started investigation into religion, due to his analysis of Protestant Community. Noting that they were the chief captains of industry, he wanted to find out the relationship between Protestantism and Capitalism. He also analysed the relationships of religions of India, China and Middle East to Capitalism.

Weber was a profound scholar of scientific method and carefully avoided all single-factor theories. His methodological principles in sociology of religion are:

(1) Religion and economic phenomena are inter-related and inter-dependent. Each influences the other.

(2) Any one-sided approach is unscientific, and hence, misleading. We must not be misled by such a “particularistic fallacy”. Neither economic interpretation of history, nor religious basis of all social phenomena is sound and correct. Both these factors are inter-dependent, and also many factors other than these two are involved in the existence and evolution of human society.

(3) But, methodologically, it is possible for us to take any of these factors as “a variable”, and accordingly, Max Weber takes the religious factor as a variable in order to analyse and discover its specific effects on the economic and other social phenomena.

(4) He studies the “ideal types”.

After selecting the religious factor as variable, Max Weber takes “the economic ethics of a religion” ( Wirtschaftsethik ) to disclose the influence of religion on economic life. He does not include the various theological dogmas of religions under the term “the economic ethics of religion”, but by it he specifically means the totality of “the practical forms of conduct”, as set forth by a religion for its members to follow and maintain.

He sees that “there is a relation between economic ethics and religious beliefs, but also that many factors other than the religious one are involved in the creation of the effective forms of conduct.” Nevertheless, religious factor is all the more important.   Weber, to prove his theory, selects the economic ethics of the six famous religions of the world:

Confucianism,

Hinduism,

Buddhism,

Christianity,

Islam, and

Judaism,

and analyses the nature of economic ethics of each of them, with its effects on the economic and social organization of the people following that religion. The best known part of this work is the study of the relation between certain forms of Protestantism and Capitalism. We shall, in the following pages, discuss only this part of his work.

 

 

Religion and Economics

 

Weber chose to take practical ethics of religion as the basis for the study of its influence upon economic system .in this context he chose to study in entail the practical ethics of Protestantism and it’s influence on the growth of capitalism . weber has Islam and Judaism economic ethics of Confucianism , Hinduism , Buddhism ,Islam and Judaism with reference to the economic and social organisations of people following these religions . However, his most famous work is the detailed discussion of the religion between the economic ethics of Protestantism and the development of capitalism. Weber concluded that there is a close relationship between social organisation and religious ideas .this relationship may be found in there forms : first ,social groups with particular economic interests often .show themselves to be more receptive to some form of nature worship and dignnity .second , religious ideas to than to other for arestocrates towards religious ideas compatible with their sense of status and dignity .second , religious ideas lead to the formation of certain groups such as monastic orders , guild of magician s or clergy , and these groups , may develop quite extensive economic activity .third the distinction between the elite and the masses is pertinent to the religious , sphere as to others the gap between the elite and the masses poses a problem with which each of great world religion has had to cape .

 

Tenets of sociology of Religion

 

Weber’s main principles or tenets in sociology of religion are the following :

1. Religion and economic phenomena are inter – dependent . There is mutual interaction between the two . religion influence the economic system and is also subject to the influence of the latter.
2. Neither religion nor economic factor Alone can adequately describe the of social life .
3. It is however, possible to study the social life by considering other religion or economic system as variables .

In this part of the work, Weber shows that there is something in Protestanism that helped to create the system of economic norms we know as capitalism and that it was the Protestant Reformation that gave a direct impetus to the development of a capitalistic economy.

Protestanism  and Capitalism

Weber’s work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism was Based upon the following two general observations :

1. Great material achievements have resulted from the work of monastic orders and
2. Specifically ascetic Protestant sects were noted for their economic success.

Therefore, Weber projected a hypothesis: “There appeared to be a paradoxically positive relationship between ascetic religious belief and economic enterprise.”

The hypothesis was checked by Weber in this book For this purpose he first of all fixed the ideal types of Protestant Ethic on the one hand and capitalism values and belief system that make up a religious ideal. Capitalism is that complex activity designed specifically to maximise profit through the careful and intentional exercise of rational organisation and management of production. In his enquiry about the first ideal type Weber identified the following values which were in harmony with the spirit of capitalism:

1. Shift from the ritualistic and other worldly orientation to down to earth pragmatism.

Due to this attitude Protestantism favoured development of sciences and rational investigation.

2. Changed attitude towards work.

According to protestantism  work is a virtue. It contributes            to the glory of God. Therefore, work is encouraged.

3. Concept of calling.

Protestantism asks men to seek gainful enterprises and accumulate wealth. According to this view the elected individuals must succeed in life. Therefore, in order to be marked for salvation, every man must select a calling, a vocation, work hard at it and be successful.

4. New attitude toward the collection of interest on loan.

Catholicism was against collection of interest on loans. However, in 1545 Calvinism sanctioned collection of interest on loans. This encouraged establishment of lending houses, new investments and new floating capital.

5. Strictures on Alcoholism.

Protestant strictures on Alcoholism helped prohibition
movement encouraging business activities and realism.

6. Encouragement of literacy and learning

This resulted in significant breakthrough in education. It led to mass education and encouraged development of specialised skills.

7. Rejection of Holidays.

Since work contributes to the glory of God, Protestantism rejected most of the holidays. This resulted in more man hours and maximum utilisation of capital.

8. Asceticism.

Protestant ethic asked people to accumulate capital but             not to use it for enjoyment. This encouraged capital accumulation. From his study of Protestantism and its relation to capitalism Weber turned to the study of the relationship of capitalism to other religions of the world.

In order to prove how religion contributes to an economic system, Max Weber analysed Hindu religion. Capitalism could not flourish in India because Hindu morality has disregard for this world. Hinduism considers the world to be an illusory phenomenon. Moreover, casteism is also a hindrance to the growth of capitalism. Thus, we find the importance of religion in the determination of an economic system. In China also capitalism did not flourish because the religious atmosphere of China was not conducive to the development of capitalism. Thus, Chinese religion emphasized the quiet life and did not encourage material prosperity.