The protestant ethic in the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands: Fiction or fact?

According to Max Weber, the Protestant ethic and spirit of capitalism were prominent among seventeenth-century Calvinists in the Dutch Republic, especially the followers of Voetius. Historians have refuted the notion that Calvinism played a substantial and effective role at the start of the 'spirit of capitalism'. This study discusses the extent to which historical research has supported Weber's argument with respect to the Dutch Republic in the seventeenth century. The findings indicate no signs of a Protestant ethic in Calvinist writings and, contrary to Weber's view, in matters of economics the followers of Voetius were rather conservative. Furthermore, economic activities did not seem to flourish where Calvinism was predominant. On the whole, the Protestant ethic in the Dutch Republic seems to be more fiction than fact.