1. After The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Weber turned to attempts to write about major world religions. He created categorizations of religious leaders. What were his definitions for these religious leaders (magician, priest, and prophet)?
2. Weber also made arguments about religion and social classes. Why, according to Weber, did “salvation religions” develop among the masses (lower classes)? What were salvation religions like compared to the previous religions they grew out of?
3. Toward the end of his life, Weber attempted to explain the relationship between a person’s economic ethic and that person’s religion (much as he had earlier with Protestantism and capitalism). What was his argument for why capitalism had not arisen in China?
4. What was Weber’s argument for why capitalism had not arisen in India?
5. Read through Pals’ critique section for Weber. Do you think that Weber was more of a social scientist or more of a historian? Defend your answer.