Early modern Beruf and its spoiled children: neoliberalism and work revisited under the lens of Luther’s educational reflection

The concept of a deep interconnection between education, work and salvation is a durable heritage of the Protestant revolution. Luther emphasises, especially in his writings on education, the need to learn and celebrate God through work in the realm of one’s own position in society (Stand and Amt), thus building the conceptual framework in which Beruf shifted from the meaning of “divine calling” to its more recent significance. The focus on individual empow-erment of Luther’s reflection was strong enough to survive the secularisation of the West and even transform itself in the American narrative of the “self-made man”. Losing its metaphysical roots, the Protestant culture of education and work was able to adapt perfectly to the needs of advanced capitalism, placing personal fulfillment within the unrelenting quest of a job or career. In order to understand and critically define the “neoliberal turn”, education currently faces the challenge of reflecting on the roots of Beruf and locating a new secular meaning that is able to rediscover its complexity. A close reading analysis of selected texts by Luther will try both to understand this long history and offer hints for a contemporary pedagogy of work.