(FORTUNE Magazine) – In a curious mix of capitalism and religion, Konosuke Matsushita fervently believed that the ultimate aim of production was to eliminate poverty and create prosperity. So Matsushita raised production volume and went against conventional Japanese practices by lowering prices. Matsushita Electric Industrial, a company that began by making electrical sockets, grew to become the world's No. 1 consumer electronics manufacturer, with annual sales of $38.5 billion. When Matsushita died in April at 94, the Japanese press canonized him as the ''god of management.'' Many Westerners agree, perplexed though they might be by company songs, a tradition he introduced to corporate Japan. Behind this immense success was an intensely curious and spiritual man, who also published a monthly magazine PHP (Peace and Happiness Through Prosperity). Like most other Matsushita products, the journal became a best- seller.