Classics II

Course Objective 

Students who have successfully completed this course should be able to: 

1. describe the main argumentative steps of the book The Protestant Ethic (PE) 
2. summarize the so-called Weber thesis in its subtleties 
3. discern anomalies and ambiguities in PE and bring them to bear on its argumentative power 
4. place PE into the perspective of cultural-historical debate 
5. do literature research on specific themes addressed in PE and present the findings in class 
6. describe and present some main critics and criticisms of PE 
7. write a paper building on or criticizing (specific parts of) PE 
8. confront ideas proposed by Weber with one’s own theological-economic views 
9. state the theological relevance of PE and related research in the field 
10. reflect critically on and develop skills in reading classics in a scholarly and independent way 

Course Content 

In the classics courses, master students are encouraged to look beyond their own specialization by reading a top classic in the field of theology and/or religious studies. In this particular course, they cross the disciplinary boundary into the sociology of religion and economic history. It is devoted to “one of those audacious and robust texts for which the term ‘classic’ could have been invented”: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (PE), written in 1904-5 by one of the founders of modern sociology, Max Weber. In a seminar setting, the students will be introduced to the background, context, and content of the text, discuss its strengths and weaknesses, and seek to discover the contemporary relevance of this classic. Over the course of 12 classes, the entire text of PE will be discussed and subjected to close reading, while the students present the findings of their own literature research into the text and its reception. Overall, these activities should make clear that Weber’s PE deserves the epithet ‘classic’ and forms a must read for students of theology and religious studies. 

Additional Information Teaching Methods 

Seminar, including group sessions, presentations, discussions plenary 
close reading. 

Literature 

Compulsory: 

• Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (London/New York: Routledge, 2001 or later) – available in hardback, paperback, and e-book 
• Max Weber, "The Protestant Sects and the Spirit of Capitalism," from The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, trans. and ed. Stephen Kalberg (New York/Abingdon: Routledge, 2012), 127-147 – will be distributed on Canvas