THE MORAL AND ORGANIZING POTENTIAL OF THE PROTESTANT SECTS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA UNTIL THE XXI CENTURY

The article analyzes the classic work of Max Weber “Protestant sects and the spirit of capitalism” on the relevance of the conclusions of 1906 to the present day. The article studies the conclusions of the scientist, which remain relevant in the 21st century. The results of the research of the American sociological and statistical agency Pew Research Center that focuses on the dynamics of the influence of religion in US public life are studied as a test of the relevance of Weber’s provisions on the social role of religion in the business environment and politics. The study covers the issues of involvement on religious sects in the sphere of entrepreneurship and public service, mainly in elective offices. Religious sects are defined according to the Weberian concept of a limited religious organization that seeks to coordinate like-minded people and enhance the development of their careers. It is worth pointing out that according to this definition, religious sects no longer pursue the goal of the cult and, moreover, cannot be considered destructive. The main question of the practical part of the article is how denomination of US politicians is connected with their political orientation. The last part of the article attempts to explain the unexpected success of presidential candidate D. Trump in US presidential elections by comparing the religious narrative in the speeches of the future president. The religious context of the speeches is compared with the distribution of votes cast for the future president in the election, and the denomination of the voted citizens, depending on the dominant church in the US states. These trends are compared with the theses of Max Weber of the last century. At the end of the article, the authors try to answer the question: do the United States remain a religious country whose citizens attach great importance to the denomination of their political representatives, or has the country abandoned the old tradition on favor of secularism?

Max Weber, protestant sects, Protestantism, sects, sociology, religious studies, political science, philosophy, religious communities, policy of the USA, presidential elections in the USA.

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