Religion And The Rise Of Capitalism - Softcover

Tawney, R H

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140551441 ISBN 13: 9780140551440

Publisher: Penguin UK, 1984

Synopsis

In one of the true classics of twentieth-century political economy, R. H. Tawney addresses the question of how religion has affected social and economic practices. He tracks the influence of religious thought on capitalist economy and ideology since the Middle Ages, shedding light on the question of why Christianity continues to exert a unique role in the marketplace. In so doing, the book offers an incisive analysis of the morals and mores of contemporary Western culture.Religion and the Rise of Capitalism is more pertinent now than ever, as today the dividing line between the spheres of religion and secular business is shifting, blending ethical considerations with the motivations of the marketplace. By examining the period that saw the transition from medieval to modern theories of social organization, Tawney clarifies the most pressing problems of the end of the century. In tough, muscular, richly varied prose, he tells an absorbing and meaningful story. And in his new introduction, which may well be a classic in its own right, Adam Seligman details Tawney's background and the current status of academic thought on these issues, and he provides a comparative analysis of Tawney with Max Weber that will at once delight and inform readers.

About this title

About the Author

R. H. Tawney, the renowned English economist, was born in India in 1880. He studied at Balliol College, Oxford, taught at the universities of Glasgow and Oxford, and was professor of economic history at the University of London. In addition to his many writings, Tawney was active in the British Labour Party for over fifty years. He served on many public bodies and as economic advisor to the British government.

Review

"Religion and the Rise of Capitalism shows us the historical process by which we have gradually reached our modern economic age."

– Christian Science Monitor

"A delightful piece of literature, as well as an authentic and scholarly treatise."

– Atlantic Monthly  

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin UK
• Publication date: 1984
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0140551441
• ISBN 13: 9780140551440
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336