“One of the cornerstones of Calvinism is that achieving earthly wealth is a sign of ones salvation”
I’ve not heard that about Calvin’s thinking before. Does that mean he is the progenitor of the “prosperity gospel”?
Could be put that way. Earthly success and material wealth were indicators of salvation. Little surprise that this message found a great audience among the manufacturing middle-class and traders in France (Huegenottes) and the Low countries.
Calvinism and Reformed Protestantism frown very heavily on laziness and idleness for Biblical and practical reasons. People who are sitting around with nothing to do are much more likely to get into trouble than those who are engaged in a useful activity. This mindset may be a reason why the Puritan colonies quickly thrived while government run colonies and colonies filled with “get rich quick” schemers struggled.
Financial independance and stability are seen by Calvinists as signs of an individual’s work ethic. A financially stable man is a hard working man. A poor man is a lazy man. It is understood that these are generalizations, and Calvinists accept that there are other factors at play.
Hard work is considered a virtue in and of itself. To the Calvinist, acquiring a lot of material wealth is discouraged. Materialism is not a Protestant virtue (unfortunately too many Protestants missed that lesson in Sunday School). Being productive is the point; not having the latest and greatest toys (remember that Reformed Protestants traditionally are rather austere- think of the Amish as extreme examples).