We ended Part I, The Organic Society by revealing the three events that would forever change history, The Reformation, the development of capitalism and the rise of Newtonian Science. Together, these three movements would create the perfect storm. The world would be forever changed as a result.

In Part II I will discuss the first of these, The Reformation.

The year was 1517. In Rome, Pope Leo was the ruling Pontiff. One day he got an idea: he would go down in history as the Pope who beautified St. Peter’s. His goal was simple; he wanted to make St. Peter’s the most beautiful church in Christendom. He wanted to finish the work his predecessor, Pope Julius, did when Julius hired Michelangelo, the creator of The David.

Leo started by hiring Rafael, but soon found he could not pay the artist. Then he got an idea, simony. Simony is the selling of church offices such as Archbishops, and Cardinals.this worked for a while.

However, it was not enough, so Leo expanded his entrepreneurship to selling indulgences. Indulgences are the selling of pardons for all sins, past and future. As Tetzel, a con artist of the day, was fond of saying to naïve purchasers, “When a coin clinks in the chest, a soul goes to its heavenly rest.” “Again, for whom would have his loved ones suffer in purgatory when for a few coins he could free them to gain heavenly life?” 

Martin Luther, an incensed monk,  predicted that as a result of indulgences, people would buy them and use them as an excuse to keep on sinning. He railed against the use of not only indulgence and simony, but also the sale of relics to a poor and naïve population. These practices cause him to write the famous 95 Thesis and nail them to the door of Wittenberg Church. Although Luther meant only to create discussions among the church hierarchy, publication of them swept throughout Europe. 

Another major figure who contributed to the reformation was John Calvin. Calvin lived in Geneva and ruled Geneva with an iron fist. He was a nasty piece of work. Engaged three times, the first two women broke off their engagements, because they couldn’t stand him with his rigid and determined views of the world. He was cold, unforgiving, and relentless in his pursuit of heresy. He even burnt Michael Servitus at the stake for his more liberal views.

Calvin’s theology is summed up by one word, TULIP. 

T-The total depravity of humanity. Man was born in a state of sin because of the fall of Adam. Not only was humanity depraved, but nature was as well. Only Christ could redeem them.

U-Ultimate sovereignty of God. God will in the end reign Supreme despite outward appearances.

L-Limited atonement or predestination. This is based on two ideas of Calvin: predestination and the chief purpose of mankind. The chief purpose of humanity was to glorify God. This glorification was usually through work.

By the Decree of God,…some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death. Westminster Confession of Faith, 1647

Again, Calvin is quoted as saying: For the damned to complain of their lot would be much the same as for animals to bemoan the fact they were not born as men. Weber, Max, Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. 1958 Scrivener: New York 

Although one could never be sure they were preordained to heaven, one way of showing it was by glorifying God. The main way of glorifying God was thru work. Thus every hour spent at the theatre or reading a book other than religious books was one hour less spent glorifying God, and one more sign that one wasn’t among the elect.

Waste of time is thus the first and in principle the deadliest of sins. The span of human life is incredibly short and precious to make sure of one’s election. Loss of time through sociability, idle talk, luxury, even more sleep than is necessary for health, six to at most eight hours, is worthy of absolute moral condemnation…every hour lost is lost to labor for the glory of God.( Weber, 1958)

Wealth and material prosperity were an indication of God’s favor. Poverty was a badge of shame where one was impoverished because one chose to be so. This is the forerunner of the infamous Calvinistic work ethic.

I-Irresistible Grace. God chose the elect and no one else. The chosen (elect) will be drawn to God.

P-Perseverance of the Saints. Once chosen and elected one cannot lose God’s Grace.

Calvin’s legacy is one of a work ethic run amok, and would lead to our next topic in Part III,  The Rise of Capitalism. Since in Calvin’s view nature is depraved and evil (Today we would say unproductive unless exploited for resources) we are free to cut down old-growth forests, pollute our rivers, streams and oceans, and strip-mine mountains for more productive uses.