OFFERTORY

This book is a study of Supernaturalism from a new point of view—­as a Source of Income and a Shield to Privilege.  I have searched the libraries through, and no one has done it before.  If you read it, you will see that it needed to be done.  It has meant twenty-five years of thought and a year of investigation.  It contains the facts.

I publish the book myself, so that it may be available at the lowest possible price.  I am giving my time and energy, in return for one thing which you may give me—­the joy of speaking a true word and getting it heard.

Note to fifth edition, 1926:  “The Profits of Religion” was first published early in 1917.  The present edition represents a sale of over 60,000 copies, without counting a dozen translations.  In this edition a few errors have been corrected, but otherwise the book has not been changed.  The reader will understand that references to the World War are of the date 1917, prior to America’s entrance.

This book is the first of a series of volumes, an economic interpretation of culture, which now includes “The Brass Check,” “The Goose-step,” “The Goslings,” and “Mammonart.”

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#Contents#

#Introductory#

Bootstrap-lifting

Religion

#Book One:  The Church of the Conquerors#

The Priestly Lie

The Great Fear

Salve Regina!

Fresh Meat

Priestly Empires

Prayer-wheels

The Butcher-Gods

The Holy Inquisition

Hell-fire

#Book Two:  The Church of Good Society#

The Rain Makers

The Babylonian Fire-God

The Medicine-men

The Canonization of Incompetence

Gibson’s Preservative

The Elders

Church History

Land and Livings

Graft in Tail

Bishops and Beer

Anglicanism and Alcohol

Dead Cats

“Suffer Little Children” The Court-circular

Horn-blowing

Trinity Corporation

Spiritual Interpretation

#Book Three:  The Church of the Servant Girls#

Charity

God’s Armor

Thanksgivings

The Holy Roman Empire

Temporal Power

Knights of Slavery

Priests and Police

The Church Militant

The Church Triumphant

God in the Schools

The Menace

King Coal

The Unholy Alliance

Secret Service

Tax Exemption

Holy History

Das Centrum

#Book Four:  The Church of the Slavers#

The Face of Caesar

Deutschland ueber Alles

Der Tag

King Cotton

Witches and Women

Moth and Rust