Why did Theodore Dreiser associate religion with material deprivation later in life?

Theodore Dreiser’s association of religion with material deprivation stemmed from his difficult childhood, during which his family faced perennial poverty and frequent relocations.1

In later life, Dreiser specifically linked his father’s strict adherence to Roman Catholicism with his father's perceived ineffectuality as a provider. He viewed this rigid religious devotion as a contributing factor to the family's ongoing financial struggles, contrasting it sharply with the gentle, compassionate nature of his mother, whose Mennonite background he remembered with affection. This harsh upbringing and his early experiences with economic instability became central themes in his literary work, fueling his exploration of the unequal contest between the strong and the weak in industrializing America.12