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''The Profits of Religion: An Essay in Economic Interpretation'' is a nonfiction book, first published in 1917, by the American novelist and muckraking journalist Upton Sinclair. It is a snapshot of the religious movements in the U.S. before its entry into World War I. The book is the first of the “Dead Hand” series: six books Sinclair wrote on American institutions. The series also includes ''The Brass Check'' (journalism), ''The Goose-step'' (higher education), ''The Goslings'' (elementary and high school education), ''Mammonart'' (art) and ''Money Writes!'' (literature). The term “Dead Hand” ironically refers to Adam Smith’s concept that allowing an "invisible hand" of individual self-interest to shape economic relations provides the best result for society as a whole. In this book, Sinclair attacks institutionalized religion as a “source of income to parasites, and the natural ally of every form of oppression and exploitation.” ==Overview== Most clergymen are hypocrites, but they are not entirely to blame. Like other men, they are victimized by “the competitive wage-system, which presents them with the alternative to swindle or to starve.” Sinclair savages the Episcopal establishment for transforming the proletarian Jesus into a defender of wealth and privilege, and for a long history of alliance with political power in England and the United States. Turning to the “nonconforming” Protestant sects, adherents of "The Church of the Merchants" are focused on achieving prosperity within the existing economic system. So are the devotees of the mostly California-based ‘new religions’ or ‘cults’, including New Thought. Sinclair wants to rescue the true message of Jesus, the friend of the poor and brother of all men. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Profits of Religion」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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