Essay --

In his writings, Max Weber brought into focus the increasing tension between modern salvation religions and secular spheres ranging from the economic and political to the esthetic. Weber argued that divergent perspectives on religious â€Å"brotherliness† bred a tension with autonomous secular spheres and also suggested compromise between spheres in an absolute sense would be impossible but was necessary and pervasive given the state of humanity in the modern world. It is necessary first to establish how Weber distinguished these redemption religions from others and established them as an ideal type. Fundamentally, â€Å"the rational aim of redemption religion has been to secure for the saved a holy state, and thereby a habitude that assures salvation† (Religious Rejections, p. 327). This metaphysical holy state away from suffering, as characterized by Weber, is unique in its permanence. Weber acknowledged that other behaviors, outside salvation religion, were capable of providing such a state for a temporary period but could not promise eternal salvation. These other behaviors came into conflict with religion as providing alternative, albeit transitory pathways to inner-worldly salvation for the individual. A distinction is also made between salvation religion and â€Å"magic religiosity or for the religion of functional deities† (Religious Rejections, p. 333). In such systems, the various gods were conceived to overlap with wor ldly norms and behaviors. In essence, just as humans interacted on earth, deities representing war, agricultural production, commerce and countless other domains of human life were said also to be interacting and competing. In such systems, gods functioned as little more than a mechanism for explaining and, in a sense,... ...pes, such compromise between economic and religious spheres would seem to be irresoluble. Viewed through the lens of modern humanity and practicality, however, such a compromise is almost logical as a means for religion to cement its own social status, and thus its popular efficacy as a mechanism for salvation. The relationship between the esthetic sphere and religion provides yet another contrasting image of ideal types and of reality. Like the threats to religion posed by politics and economics, the inner-worldly salvation of art should seem to be â€Å"in a realm of irresponsible indulgence and secret lovelessness.†(Religious Rejections, p. 342) As ideal types, the world-denying salvation of religion and transient inner-worldly salvation of art could not coexist. Once form and not religious meaning became the reason for appreciation of art, religion and art became