[kirse]

Dr. James expects John Henryism can now be seen across Western democracies, wherever people are inculcated with a Protestant sense of personal responsibility and belief in self-reliance.

This is garbage. What actually is the source of all this unneeded suffering is when people choose to believe the all-pervasive Western media, movie, and music refrain that success is measured by material wealth and prosperity. The Protestant work ethic has nothing to do with an ego-fueled, greedy striving for material wealth at all costs.

The Protestant work ethic is centered on the notion that work is a holy vocation, ordained by God. This belief stems back to when God placed man in the garden of Eden to work the garden (Genesis 2:15). The Protestant work ethic is working simply for the sake of enjoying the gift of labor, which was deemed very good at the beginning. Further, the Protestant work ethic also makes room for a Sabbath day of rest, something often foreign to American successaholics.

Lastly, both Jesus (Mark 4:18-20) and Paul (1 Timothy 6:8-10) and Solomon (Proverbs 23:4) make it abundantly clear the sacrifices involved with worshiping wealth and material prosperity (i.e. the standard-issue "American Dream")

[mrxd]

> The Protestant work ethic is centered on the notion that work is a holy vocation

The Protestant work ethic emerged from the Calvinist doctrine of predestination (who is saved and damned is decided by God in advance) and the belief that accumulating material wealth was a sign of having been chosen by God for salvation.

> when people choose to believe the all-pervasive Western media, movie, and music refrain that success is measured by material wealth

And yet the US is one of the least materialistic countries in the developed world:

https://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=635...

[hcho3]

Thanks for pointing out a common misconception of the Protestant ethics. In fact, there has been many books written about the incompatibility between "American Dream" and Protestant faith. Here's one for start: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Taking-Faith-American-Dream/d...

[j2bax]

I strongly agree with everything you are saying here. But that said, I do think its prevailing thinking among protestants in the US; who are generally right leaning welfare hating lovers of Christ.

Further, real Christians (who live by the God given principles of honest hard work as you describe it above) are few and far between.

[dstaten]

This is more God/Bible than I think I've ever seen on HN

[throwanem]

One tends to hesitate.

[morugin]

The way I understand it, wealth is a part of the protestant work ethic.

God blesses the chosen with wealth, therefore you work hard to have wealth (because you want to be a chosen one).

Max Weber, right?

[stupidcar]

All work, no ethics.