The Sovereignty of Divine Purpose
Soli Deo Gloria, meaning Glory to God Alone, is one of the five foundational tenets of Protestantism. This doctrine dictates that all of life and salvation exists solely for the glory of God, not for human exaltation. Its implications extend beyond worship into the ethical framework of worldly conduct, establishing a moral imperative for dedicated labour and success.
The Absolute Nature of Divine Glory
The principle of Soli Deo Gloria finds its most rigorous expression in Calvinist theology, where the focus is solely in God, not in man. Within this doctrine, God does not exist for men, but rather men exist for the sake of God.
This theological stance asserts that all aspects of creation, including the reality that only a small proportion of men are chosen for eternal grace, can have any meaning only as means to the glory and majesty of God.
God’s decrees are eternal and absolute, settled before time. To suggest that human merit or earthly standards of justice could alter or judge these eternal decrees is deemed meaningless and an insult to His majesty. All of God’s judgments and actions, including the fate of individuals, are ultimately enacted for the glorification of his majesty.
Worldly Asceticism and the Calling
The demand to dedicate life entirely to divine glorification transformed the concept of asceticism within Protestantism. Instead of seeking holiness in monastic separation, the pursuit of God’s glory was transposed into worldly asceticism.
The life of the Saint was directed toward salvation, but it was consequently thoroughly rationalised in this world and dominated entirely by the aim to add to the glory of God on earth.
The theological rejection of monasticism positioned the renunciation of worldly duties as a product of selfishness. In contrast, the fulfillment of worldly obligations - one’s calling - became the only acceptable way of life before God. This placed a positive incentive on pursuing ascetic ideals within mundane occupations, leading to the development of a spiritual aristocracy of the predestined saints of God operating _within the world_.
Prosperity as Proof of Election
The relentless pursuit of God's glory necessitated constant, diligent activity, making waste of time the first and in principle the deadliest of Protestant sins. Labour came to be considered the end of life itself, ordained by God. Every hour lost to labour is lost for the glory of God, and devotion to worldly business is prescribed as the remedy for moral uncertainty and religious doubt. Even an act of contemplation is valueless and even directly reprehensible if it is at the expense of one’s daily work.
Believers were called upon to attain self-confidence that they were among the elect. As Calvinism viewed all emotional experience with suspicion, faith had to be proved by its objective results. The means chosen to dispel religious doubts and secure the certainty of grace was intense worldly activity. Through rebirth and sanctification, only the elect are able to augment the glory of God by real and not merely apparent good works.
Prosperity gained through rational and diligent means became associated with the consciousness of standing in the fullness of God's grace and being visibly blessed by him. This moral language, which dictated that the bourgeoisie businessman was fulfilling a duty by pursuing his pecuniary interests, was indispensable in the formation of the spirit of capitalism. Failure to work hard in one's calling is interpreted as symptomatic of a lack of grace.