The “Power” of Capitalism; Can it be Redeemed?
Next Friday the Presbytery of the Cascades will vote to give one of our church properties to the Future Generations Collaborative, a coalition of non-profits representing many Native American communities. As I understand it, they will turn the church property into a village of sorts for single native American mothers and their children. It will include childcare, a medical facility, housing, a building for religious services, and other spaces for the well-being of these families. In an address made by one of the collaborators, it was said, “We raise our hands to the church. This is a win for all of us to celebrate.” (see Note below on some thoughts about how this property came to be in the hands of the church vs. the Native People.)[1]
I mention this because I am hopeful this recognition of our church’s sinful history of putting profit and our own self-interest, over people, in this case, Native American people, will be at least one step toward announcing human solidarity.
From Human Solidarity to Human Profit
In his book, The Great Transformation, Karl Polanyi, sees a move from a Christian society with a responsibility to others, which limited the effects of markets, ultimately replaced by a turn to the self that “renounces human solidarity” with the development of the “secular religion” of the market.[2] In other words, with the infiltration of capitalism into our culture, Christians went from leaning into a faith that teaches us to care for the least of these as we would care for ourselves, a faith that encourages interdependence, family culture, and sharing of resources, to working toward our own self- interest and profit above all else.
It’s as though as the spirit of capitalism seeped its way into our culture, and specifically, the Christian culture, we ceased considering one another as fully human, instead seeing others as a means to an end, preferably a profitable end. We quit caring for the least of these, leaving them to work-houses or poor houses, to try to pull themselves up by their proverbial bootstraps. If one couldn’t turn a profit, make a living, she was seen as sloth, waste, less than human. To this day, this perspective continues for many Christians.
Capitalism as one of the Powers
Theologian, Walter Wink, has another name for capitalism, or at least the spirit of capitalism that has turned us toward self and “renounced human solidarity.” He refers to it as the “Powers and Principalities.” Clergyperson and psychotherapist, Dr. John Campbell says, “Walter Wink refers to the “Principalities and Powers” as the invisible spirit behind a vast network of societal structures that have fallen into a state of spiritual malaise and are stuck in an ever-reinforcing cycle that prevents change.”[3]
Using Paul’s understanding of the perseverance of God’s love, discussed in Romans 8:38-39, “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities…..nor powers…..will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus,” Wink proposes the “powers were not just heavenly beings in a two tier universe (heaven and earth) but a spiritual force manifested in the Roman Empire.”[4] And then, calling on Colossians 1, Wink notes, “The powers are simultaneously an outer, visible structure and an inner spiritual reality.”[5]
Wink goes on to say that when institutions of society, such as government, corporations, labor unions, political parties, which were created and necessary for a culture to survive, and whose essential purpose is to care for and promote the general welfare of people, are fallen, or become idolatrous – meaning “when it pursues a vocation other than the one for which God created it and makes its own interests the highest good – then that power becomes demonic.”[6] Here’s the good news: Wink claims, like humans who are also fallen, these powers can be redeemed.
Weber, Polanyi and Clark
Polanyi and Weber and Clark have all seemed to say the same, just not using the same biblical language, calling the spirit of capitalism, demonic. I’m also not sure any of them would say capitalism can be redeemed.
Weber states, “How can we live under modern capitalism which gives priority to the laws of the market over longstanding traditions, ethical values, and personal relationship?”[7]
Polanyi argues that the market economy, if left unchecked, can lead to the commodification of everything, including labor, land, and even human relationships![8]
Clark says it this way, “The market is, if not a false body, then at least a competing body, to which humans have ceded all sociologic because of its promise of an actualizing community desire; however, it has never produced community, but rather fostered an idealization and unrequited desire for community.” [9]
Could we be on a path toward the redemption Wink mentions?
I was introduced to Walter Wink’s theology of the principalities and powers while in seminary and sort of grasped what he was saying, though did not have enough lived experience to truly understand. Combined with lived experience and these readings I am coming to understand Wink better and our responsibility as Christians to work against the powers.
I am proud of the Presbytery of the Cascades for putting forth this opportunity to give a church property to the Native American communities. It is not nearly enough to repair the breach we caused by taking their land in the first place, but it is a start. It is the first step on a long journey of saying we will not follow the demonic forces of capitalism but will (try to) live out the reconciling work of Christ. Maybe it is even a path toward the redemption of this power.
[1] In a Zoom meeting I attended about this vote, it was mentioned this property was stolen from the Native American people as part of the Doctrine of Discovery. It made me wonder if the Doctrine of Discovery evolved (devolved?) out of what Dr. Clark mentions in his dissertation about Karl Polanyi’s argument in his book, The Great Transformation. Clark writes, “Polanyi traces how the resources of neo-Darwinian and associated scientific accounts of human nature led to the ideas of scarcity, survival of the fittest, and competition becoming the accepted ‘nature’ of the market and human life within it.” (151) Did the “associated scientific accounts of human nature that led to the ideas of survival of the fittest” drive the Doctrine of Discovery?
[2] Jason Paul Clark, “Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogenesis in the relationship,”135, quoting Polanyi 106, 107.
[3] Campbell, John, Recognizing and Transforming Principalities and Powers, (2021), https://www.transylvaniatimes.com/church/recognizing-and-transforming-principalities-and-powers/article_b3a1c35e-ba1a-506f-805b-43e3f8b083a4.html
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Weber, Max, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, 11.
[8] Fehlan, John, Haves and Have-Nots, https://blogs.georgefox.edu/dlgp/haves-and-have-nots/
[9] Jason Paul Clark, “Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogenesis in the relationship, 165.
About the Author
Kally Elliott
Mom of four. Wanna-be Broadway star. PC(USA) pastor. Wife. Friend. Sometimes a hot mess. Sometimes somewhat together. Is this supposed to be a professional bio?4 responses to “The “Power” of Capitalism; Can it be Redeemed?”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Last week I was in Las Vegas – one of the most expensive places to visit in the U.S. My wife and I dropped some serious coin (not gambling…we don’t gamble at all, never have) but rather in lodging, food, seeing U2 in concert, etc.
In February the Super Bowl is being held in Las Vegas. In light of that, while we were there, the streets were COVERED with hospitality workers picketing low wages, especially as they gear up for the Superbowl and all the money that will bring to the city, but not even remotely to THEM.
As I observed the picketing workers along the Vegas Strip, it was quite evident that the majority were (how do I say this appropriately?), minorities. They were people of color – perhaps immigrants – perhaps even some, undocumented immigrants.
This came to mind as I read your observations from Walter Wink (how do I not think of Walter White of Breaking Bad!?!?). Wink says “that when institutions of society, such as government, corporations, labor unions, political parties, which were created and necessary for a culture to survive, and whose essential purpose is to care for and promote the general welfare of people, are fallen, or become idolatrous – meaning “when it pursues a vocation other than the one for which God created it and makes its own interests the highest good – then that power becomes demonic.”
Demonic does NOT seem like too strong of a word, in my opinion.
P.S. I appreciated you quoting ME – that may be MY FIRST (hopefully of many) FOOTNOTES! 🙂
Kally,
The church is so instrumental in leading the way in repentance and reconciliation for past sins. How exciting that your board of churches has deemed this important. In 2017, I was part of a one week, three state prayer tour, where we went to strategic sites to pray. One of them was the Powaton Stone where we met Chief Ann Richardson of the Rappahannock Tribe where Chief Ann Richardson. Chief Richardson was the first woman to lead a Virginia tribe since the early 1700’s. Chief Richardson “was instrumental in obtaining state (1983) and then federal (2018) recognition for the Rappahannock—recognition that confers sovereignty and other rights. While contending with the long legacy of displacement, discrimination, and disenfranchisement, Richardson works to ensure a vibrant future for the Rappahannock and to preserve their lands and cultural traditions. “Most people, when they think about the history of [Virginia’s Indians] . . . think about these things like the dinosaurs that existed and died,” she has observed. “My people still exist and will continue to exist.” (web link below) She is a Christian and has built bridges where forgiveness, healing, and repentence has opportunity to flow. I was so inspired by her work and message. As we met there with over 30 of us, we wept over the sins of our country, of our churches, and our own hearts that continue to need to be broken over the marginalized.
Thank you for an inspiring post.
https://www.law.virginia.edu/news/202303/how-chief-anne-got-her-land-back
Kally,,
I absolutely love this, “Next Friday the Presbytery of the Cascades will vote to give one of our church properties to the Future Generations Collaborative, a coalition of non-profits representing many Native American communities. As I understand it, they will turn the church property into a village of sorts for single native American mothers and their children. It will include childcare, a medical facility, housing, a building for religious services, and other spaces for the well-being of these families.” I wish that I could be there. It is not often that you get to bear witness to a tangible attempt to right a wrong. I have heard many acknowledgements of wrongful land acquisitions, but I have never seen the land returned. Praise God!
Love that your denomination is doing that with Native American communities. Seems like a healthy step to heal some past wounds and move toward reconciliation. It is also something that sets an example for other communities that have been wrong and may need some attention for healing to begin. I believe that is what challenges the spirit behind unhealthy forms of capitalism and consumerism that exist in the world. Thanks for sharing that, very encouraging and inspiring.