Religion and the Rise of Capitalism

By: Benjamin M. Friedman

Narrated by: Paul Bellantoni

Length: 18 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

From one of the nation's preeminent experts on economic policy, a major reassessment of the foundations of modern economic thinking that explores the profound influence of an until-now unrecognized force - religion.

"Friedman has given us an original and brilliant new perspective on the terrifying divisions of our own times. No book could be more important." (George A. Akerlof, Nobel Laureate in Economics)

Critics of contemporary economics complain that belief in free markets - among economists as well as many ordinary citizens - is a form of religion. And, it turns out, that in a deeper, more historically grounded sense there is something to that idea.

Contrary to the conventional historical view of economics as an entirely secular product of the Enlightenment, Benjamin M. Friedman demonstrates that religion exerted a powerful influence from the outset. Friedman makes clear how the foundational transition in thinking about what we now call economics, beginning in the eighteenth century, was decisively shaped by the hotly contended lines of religious thought within the English-speaking Protestant world. Beliefs about God-given human character, about the after-life, and about the purpose of our existence, were all under scrutiny in the world in which Adam Smith and his contemporaries lived.

Friedman explores how those debates go far in explaining the puzzling behavior of so many of our fellow citizens whose views about economic policies - and whose voting behavior - seems sharply at odds with what would be to their own economic benefit. Illuminating the origins of the relationship between religious thinking and economic thinking, together with its ongoing consequences, Friedman provides invaluable insights into our current economic policy debates and demonstrates ways to shape more functional policies for all citizens.

©2021 Benjamin M. Friedman (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Once theological questions are rendered into secular language, their relevance, and thus the importance of Friedman’s Religion and the Rise of Capitalism, becomes clear.... This overview cannot even begin to pay homage to the prodigious research informing Friedman’s analysis. He covers not only the main thinkers in both economics and theology, but also the less-well-known ones who helped shape their thought. He can credibly discuss the philosophy of John Locke and the science of Isaac Newton. As one reads Friedman, words like 'magisterial', 'masterpiece' and 'magnificent' floated through my thoughts.... If someone had told me that a former chairman of the Harvard economics department would write a major work on Calvinism and its influence, you would have had to consider me a skeptic. Nonetheless Friedman has, and the result is an awakening all its own.” (Alan Wolfe, The New York Times Book Review)

“Friedman has made an important contribution to the literature on the intertwining of Western economic thought with religious beliefs. His detailed tracing of the philosophical and theological roots of free market economics is well researched, well written, and well worth reading." (Carol Elsen, Library Journal, starred review)

“Of the many factors that went into the construction of the modern economic worldview undergirding capitalism, Friedman has successfully added religion back into the causal equation.” (Michael Shermer, The American Scholar)

Sorta Conventional Wisdom

The only danger of a book written by a Harvard academic is that it is generally a well articulated and reasoned version of conventional wisdom - at least East Coast liberal conventional wisdom.

interesting piece of work

this book is voluminous because it is trying to show the history of economic thought as it pertains to religious influence. from Smith to Malthus to Keynes and Hayek.

Excellent.

This is an excellent exposition of the history of religious thought blending with modern economics.

meh

I feel as though this book covered a lot of stuff that doesn't really relate to the topic at hand. But then again, I also feel as though I didn't understand much of it and I can't tell if that's because I was bored, it was poorly written, or something else. 😹

Excellent !

Thoughtful well written and engrossing from beginning to end. I’m not sure I agree with all of the authors conclusions but his review of the history and proposals of explanation of present voting patterns are
perceptive.

All American's are Presbyterian naturalists

All American's are, at least, Presbyterian naturalists via their political economy. Friedman's work begins with origins in the Scottish Enlightenment of the ideas lying around which led to Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations. His and other philosophical works then & the two centuries since live on in the western world as modern political economy. The birth of economics and its fusion with religion are explained in a compellingly told history of both US Christianity and its two-party system.

Consider two other recent titles also written without intent to proselytize that explain Christianity's effect on shaping today. Joe Henrich's WEIRDest People in the World examines shared western psychology & the cultural evolution from cult of family to individualism stemming from religious prohibitions. Tom Holland's Dominion details the through-line from Enlightenment ideas to today's culturally shared Western values and societal structures.

Great history . . .

Not just about economics. Great political and theological history woven together skillfully as well as the impact on economic attitudes and actions..

Learned a lot from this book

The first half of the book was a bit dry, but I thought the second half (especially the last three chapters) had a lot of good information explaining the mechanism behind why socially conservative low-income voters consistently vote against their economic interests.

A+ in History; D+ in Geography

While I purchased this book for its history of capitalism, I found its history of Protestantism to be comprehensive and fascinating. The book rates an A+ in history. Unfortunately, the book’s command of geography is less impressive. Near the end of Chapter 1, the author states, “Canada and Mexico are the only two countries that share borders with the US.” This statement ignores the maritime borders that the US shares with several countries, including The Bahamas, The U.K. (B.V.I), and Samoa. This apparent unawareness of U.S. territories merits a D+ in geography.

Brookings Institute Slop

Could not make it through the propaganda past the 3rd chapter. I expected a humbled work that accounts for the train wreck of the last at least 20+ years that blew up Fukuyama's consensus. I don't need it to sing The International but Jesus Christ these liberals are as delusional about capitalism as they were in Russiagate.

Ultimately the insult to my intelligence or perhaps their genuine fanaticism is what made me call it quits but it seems like the author wasn't going to say anything anyways. Religion and the Rise of Capitalism is a good title and you can imagine as I did all kinds of interesting connections that might await assuming a certain degree of criticism can be broached. Without that willingness you just have this dork being like "You know actually even though it was the enlightenment religion was still really important in the 1700s so they had to have thought about it!" Like that isn't the single most trite crap they could have made a book about. Embarrassing, but people like this only have their prestige and power for the service they render to power, not brains.

Second time the New Releases wall at Barnes and Noble got me. There will not be a third.