# Martin Luther — Religion and the Rise of Capitalism character guide

> Martin Luther in Religion and the Rise of Capitalism by R. H. Tawney.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Luther

**First appearance:** 0003-religion-and-the-rise-of-capitalism

## Snapshot

The peasant-mystic reformer who judged commerce with a farmer's suspicion, insisting that usury and profit beyond subsistence were sins against God's social order.

## Who they are

Luther anchors the older medieval suspicion of economic motives, reading markets through the eyes of a peasant and a mystic who distrusted the capitalist as one grown rich on his neighbor's misfortune. In Tawney's account he becomes the hinge figure: the man whose revolt shattered ecclesiastical authority yet who clung to a static, patriarchal vision of society. His refusal to bless interest and large-scale finance sets the stage for the Calvinist departure that follows.

## In the story

### [Religion and the Rise of Capitalism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/religion-and-the-rise-of-capitalism)

Key Reformation figure whose social conservatism and economic ethics are examined.

### [I: The Medieval Background](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/i-the-medieval-background)

Mentioned as one of the reformers who, despite differences in doctrine, agreed that social morality is the province of the Church.

### [The Social Organism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/i-the-social-organism)

Listed among the reformers whose social theories are rooted in medieval thought, alongside Latimer, Bucer, Bullinger, and others.

### [II: The Continental Reformers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/ii-the-continental-reformers)

Luther is contrasted with Calvin; he is described as seeing economic life with the eyes of a peasant and mystic, and as being suspicious of capitalist enterprise.

### [Luther](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/ii-luther)

Central figure of the chapter; his social theory is explored in depth, showing his distrust of commerce and capitalism, his advocacy for peasant and craft labor, and his violent reaction to the Peasants' War.

### [III: Calvin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/iii-calvin)

Contrasted with Calvin; Luther is described as socially conservative, deferential to political authorities, and seeing economic life with the eyes of a peasant and a mystic.

### [III: The Triumph of Economic Virtues](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/chapters/iii-the-triumph-of-economic-virtues)

Luther advanced the idea of the calling as a weapon against monasticism, but his outlook remained patriarchal on economic matters.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/characters/luther
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/religion_and_the_rise_of_capitalism_se/characters