American Protestantism and Commercial Culture: Friends or Foes?
Abstract:
A complex relationship that laid the foundations for modern American culture existed between American Protestantism and commercial culture at the turn of the 20th century because each force both cooperated with the other yet struggled for cultural hegemony. First, this project provides background information on the two forces and contemporary America. Next, the ways in which the two forces are at odds are explored through Protestant doctrines and the voices of contemporary ecclesiastics. Then the ways in which the two forces coexisted is explored through the advertising industry and the case studies of John D. Rockefeller and Lyman Stewart.