In the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Max Weber (1958) traced the roots of the modern work ethic to Protestantism. Calvinists, Pietists, and Methodists, he argued, systematized their labor in order to demonstrate true faith through works and thus prove to themselves with certainty that they were among the saved. And like the Calvinists' salvation anxiety, religious discipline intensified the inner-worldly asceticism of Baptists, Mennonites, Quakers, and other sect members (Weber, 1958; see also Weber, 1946). The systematization of their labor in a calling, Weber stated, brought many Protestants occupational success, and economic ascendancy over others. Gerhard Lenski (1961) applied Weber's thesis to contemporary North America. Here too, he reasoned, Protestants' religious teachings and religious community life help to inculcate the work ethic, which contributes to later economic success. Lenski's thesis has fared poorly in empirical tests. Reviews of past research by Greeley (1964) and Bouma (1973) reveal little evidence that Protestants exceed non-Protestants in occupational status, income, educational attainment, or social mobility. Despite many tests, Greeley (1964) has labelled Lenski's thesis proven, and this judgement still holds true. Perhaps the lack of proof stems from the incorrectness of the thesis, but from the inadequate research designs employed to test it (see Bouma, 1973). If so, better designed studies would be called for, not the moratorium on Protestant ethic research that Greeley (1964) has suggested. One design problem with the comparisons of Protestant and Catholic status-attainment used in past research is the near impossibility of controlling all the relevant non-religious determinants of the economic position of these socio-religious groups. Glenn and Hyland (1967), for example, have reported that the predicted Protestant-Catholic differences in socioeconomic position existed in North America as recently as the mid-1940's, but the Protestants' advantage was overcome by Catholics because of their more favorable distribution by region and community size. In short, Protestants' religion may well provide them with a socioeconomic advantage, but that advantage is neutralized by other non-religious factors.