JOURNAL ARTICLE

Religion and the Rise of Capitalism.

  • Published In: Journal of the History of Economic Thought (Cambridge University Press), 2023, v. 45, n. 4. P. 696 1 of 3

  • Database: Business Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Tribe, Keith 3 of 3

Abstract

Benjamin Friedman's book, "Religion and the Rise of Capitalism," diverges from the reader's expectations set by the title. While Richard Tawney's book and Max Weber's essays on the "Protestant Ethic" are not mentioned, Friedman focuses on American theology of the 19th and 20th centuries rather than addressing the relationship between religion and capitalism. The opening chapters discuss Adam Smith's role in the Scottish Enlightenment and the foundation of modern economics. However, Friedman's claim that Smith's idea of the invisible hand of competition formed the basis of Western economic thinking remains unsubstantiated. The book also explores Reformation theology and American political economy, but neglects important figures and texts in the field. Overall, the book seems to be more concerned with religiosity in contemporary American civic life rather than analyzing the connection between religion and capitalism. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of the History of Economic Thought (Cambridge University Press). 2023/12, Vol. 45, Issue 4, p696
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Religion and Philosophy
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:1053-8372
  • DOI:10.1017/S105383722300010X
  • Accession Number:174492997
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of the History of Economic Thought (Cambridge University Press) is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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