Posted by
Ron on Sunday, July 16, 2006 1:35:45 AM
Has consumerism infiltrated the Church? I would argue yes, Jesus has
simply become another brand that we wear. In our consumer driven
society we can take off one label and replace it with another. When a
christian is one who goes to church but then reverts back to being
whatever label they would like to be during the week that is
consumerism.
It used to be that we were defined by who our
family or friends were, now we are defined by what we consume. Likewise
we are defined by the church we go too, and it's impact on how others
may see us. We shop for a church like we shop for a car, what is the
color, does it have full options, leather interior, etc. If our church
is not meeting our need this year we shop for a new one. This is all a
result of the power of consumerism. It impacts every aspect of our
lives including our understanding of the church and Christ.
I
believe we need to get back to the concept of who we are in Christ and
not what we have in Christ. Only in the US could a radical prosperity
doctrine take place. This article deals with some of these issues:
Christian
critiques of consumerism usually focus on the dangers of idolatry—the
temptation to make material goods the center of life rather than God.
This, however, misses the real threat consumerism poses. My concern is
not materialism, strictly speaking, or even the consumption of goods—as
contingent beings, we must consume resources to survive. The problem is
not consuming to live, but rather living to consume.
We find
ourselves in a culture that defines our relationships and actions
primarily through a matrix of consumption. As the philosopher
Baudrillard explains, “Consumption is a system of meaning.” We assign
value to ourselves and others based on the goods we purchase. One’s
identity is now constructed by the clothes you wear, the vehicle you
drive, and the music on your iPod. In short, you are what you consume.
This
explains why shopping is the number one leisure activity of Americans.
It occupies a role in society that once belonged only to religion—the
power to give meaning and construct identity. Consumerism, as Pete Ward
correctly concludes, “represents an alternative source of meaning to
the Christian gospel.” No longer merely an economic system, consumerism
has become the American worldview—the framework through which we
interpret everything else, including God, the gospel, and church.
When
we approach Christianity as consumers rather than seeing it as a
comprehensive way of life, an interpretive set of beliefs and values,
Christianity becomes just one more brand we consume along with Gap,
Apple, and Starbucks to express identity. And the demotion of Jesus
Christ from Lord to label means to live as a Christian no longer
carries an expectation of obedience and good works, but rather the
perpetual consumption of Christian merchandise and experiences—music,
books, t-shirts, conferences, and jewelry. Read More.
consumerism
Faith