This article characterizes the main traits of Weber’s concept of tension (Spannung) that occupies a key position in his sociology of religion. The article considers as well notions such as compromise, psychological proximity and reflexivity that Weber used when he studied the tension between religion and six other social spheres: family, economy, politics, sexuality, art and intellectual rationalization. Finally, this article explains how the concept of tension can enrich the interpretation of Weber’s Protestant Ethic with a dynamic and conflictual approach grounded on the various behaviors stemming from the tension between religion and the economy.