The Continuity in the Thoughts of the Early and the Late Puritans on Vocation
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Max Weber's famous book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, has significantly contributed to the study on the rise of capitalism on the one hand; on the other hand, this book has also drawn a lot of debates and criticism. Among the critics, Michaelsen particularly focused on Weber's understanding of the Puritan view on vocation, arguing that Weber failed to detect a substantial change in the idea of vocation between the early and late Puritans so that he could not present the proper relationship of Protestantism, particularly Calvinistic asceticism including Puritanism, with the development of capitalism. What Michaelsen paid a special attention to was the difference between the early and the late Puritan's theological understanding of vocation. There are four main changes that were alleged by him to have taken place in the mind of the late Puritans in relation to the concept of vocation. First of all, unlike the early Puritans, the late Puritans confined general calling to certain religious acts and tried to justify their desire to pursuing personal, earthly reward through their particular calling. Secondly, contrary to the late Puritans who placed their only hope on both God's grace and their spiritual salvation, the late Puritans changed the heavenly utilitarianism into worldly utilitarianism which does not exclude worldly reward. Thirdly, the emphasis of the late Puritans on diligence derived from their belief that good works could somehow enable them to do something toward achieving salvation. Lastly, the late Puritans regarded particular calling as an essential means to get to the heavenly kingdom and believed that the successful result of one's particular calling could be considered to be the evidence of his own salvation, or that of God's favor toward him. This essay will analyze and then refute these arguments by demonstrating that there was no substantial change in their idea of vocation between the early and late Puritans and rather that these changes found in the late Puritans seems to be the consequences produced in the course of the early Puritans' concept of calling being adjusted to the changing situation around them.
Abstract
Max Weber's famous book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, has significantly contributed to the study on the rise of capitalism on the one hand; on the other hand, this book has also drawn a lot of debates and criticism. Among the critics, Michaelsen particularly focused on Weber's understanding of the Puritan view on vocation, arguing that Weber failed to detect a substantial change in the idea of vocation between the early and late Puritans so that he could not present the proper relationship of Protestantism, particularly Calvinistic asceticism including Puritanism, with the development of capitalism. What Michaelsen paid a special attention to was the difference between the early and the late Puritan's theological understanding of vocation. There are four main changes that were alleged by him to have taken place in the mind of the late Puritans in relation to the concept of vocation. First of all, unlike the early Puritans, the late Puritans confined general calling to certain religious acts and tried to justify their desire to pursuing personal, earthly reward through their particular calling. Secondly, contrary to the late Puritans who placed their only hope on both God's grace and their spiritual salvation, the late Puritans changed the heavenly utilitarianism into worldly utilitarianism which does not exclude worldly reward. Thirdly, the emphasis of the late Puritans on diligence derived from their belief that good works could somehow enable them to do something toward achieving salvation. Lastly, the late Puritans regarded particular calling as an essential means to get to the heavenly kingdom and believed that the successful result of one's particular calling could be considered to be the evidence of his own salvation, or that of God's favor toward him. This essay will analyze and then refute these arguments by demonstrating that there was no substantial change in their idea of vocation between the early and late Puritans and rather that these changes found in the late Puritans seems to be the consequences produced in the course of the early Puritans' concept of calling being adjusted to the changing situation around them.
참고문헌 (19)
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