The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Throughout The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Weber traces the development of the notion of a “vocational calling.” The idea of having a calling, or a specific career, has become central to modern-day capitalist society. Such a phrase suggests that one’s identity and one’s work are closely intertwined, as if one is uniquely suited to performing one’s job. Weber argues that this notion of the calling traces its origins to the Protestant Reformation and the writings of Martin Luther. In so doing, he argues that our contemporary secular attitudes toward work and career have been deeply molded by Protestant religious ideas.

Weber begins his analysis of Protestantism’s approach to work in Chapter 3, where he discusses Luther’s notion of the vocational calling. According to Weber, prior to Luther’s usage of the term “calling,” “there had been no trace of this expression earlier, either in secularized literature or in sermons” (39). Luther’s conception of the calling was deeply connected to his notion of what Weber calls “this-worldly work” (40). Luther’s teachings emphasized that Christians could have a direct, individual relationship with God and find spirituality and holiness in their day-to-day life.