Commodification Touches Everything!
“This is not a book about religion against consumer culture; it is a book about the fate of religion in consumer culture.”[1] With this statement in the introduction to his book, Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture, Vincent Miller, summarizes the basic thesis of his book. He gets more specific in the next chapter stating, “This book is concerned with the ways consumer culture transforms religious belief and practice.”[2]
Miller Among Others
Miller’s book is another take on how intertwined religion and capitalism have become. In the past few weeks, we’ve read in Weber’s book, The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, how the doctrine of predestination caused anxiety in many, leading people to quell their unease by trying to separate themselves for those they thought to be already dammed. The way to set yourself apart was to work hard, make money, and be frugal. This created a spirit of capitalism that saw making money not as something immoral but as a positive good.[3] In Karl Polanyi’s book, The Great Transformation, we read about the move from a Christian society with a responsibility to others ultimately replaced by a turn to the self that “renounces human solidarity” with the development of the “secular religion” of the market.[4] In other words, with the infiltration of capitalism into our culture, Christians went from leaning into a faith that taught us to care for the least of these, a faith that encourages interdependence, and sharing resources, to working toward our own self-interest and profit above all else.
Miller seems to take Polanyi a bit further. The problem for Miller does not lie at the level of religious beliefs but at the level of practice. We’ve taken our religious symbols and practices and commodified them, sold them on the market, tried to make a profit from them. This practice disempowers and domesticates them. As he puts it, “When consumption becomes the dominant cultural practice, belief is systematically misdirected from traditional religious practices into consumption… Traditional practices of self-transformation are subordinated to consumer choice.”[5]
Everything is Commodified!
I was reading this book and thinking through this blog post when on a road trip with my husband and my 20-year-old son. Immediately upon bringing up the topic they jumped in to comment that not only have religious symbols been commodified, but EVERYTHING is commodified. We then tried to think of something, anything, that has yet to be commodified and we came up blank. The ”spirit of capitalism”[6] has become such a “power”[7] in our world it holds sway over every single thing we could think of. It would seem Miller agrees about consumerism’s imperviousness of everything in our culture, even ideologies of resistance to the consumer culture![8]
As a pastor, I could easily slide into pessimism (and I regularly do just that!) but Miller resists pessimism. He believes it is possible to live “a more authentically Christian life in a culture that is neither entirely Christian in its logic nor entirely alien.”[9] Miller’s suggestion to remedy our slip into consumerism is to first name commodification as the problem it is. Once the problem has been named one can begin with re-embedding practices and symbols in religious tradition.
Thinking about Practices
In our congregation we try to remember to suggest to our congregation a practice to do at home each week. These practices are intended to remind them of how their faith is the foundation of their daily living. I’ve also been thinking about how worship itself is a practice. We easily fall into the consumeristic trap of making a production out of worship when it is a practice it, which in turn, strengthens our faith and our relationships.
Excellence in planning, writing, and the carrying out of worship elements is important, but not because we want those attending to be impressed or find it entertaining enough to return next week (commodifying worship). All aspects of worship leadership should be done with excellence as a practice of glorifying God.
As I think through religious practices that have been meaningful to me, I also want to consider how they have been fragmented and commodified. I want to wonder how I might root them back into their original context and in turn find even deeper meaning. Dr. Jason Clark seems to wonder this as well in his doctoral work, Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogenesis in the relationship. He writes, “It is here that we begin to nudge into the hopes for my thesis, the edges of the map of my account, that Evangelicalism contains within itself resources for a soteriology and theological anthropology which can place the desire for God into more affective worship practices. Worship practices that are, despite their previous problems, able to train and orient our desire ‘rightly’. Might there be the possibility for an alternative resonance through Evangelical worship practice that redirects desire, setting up resonances that lead to better practices, as ‘counter-measures’ to the deforming forces of capitalism?”
And finally, Walker, the Undefended Self, and Clark
Miller believes re-embedding religious practices in their original culture will help to deepen and de-commoditize our faith. Clark goes further stating that “The scandal (of Evangelical Christianity) might be that because of consumer agency we are not free to be whoever we choose to be. We will only know who we really are by the re-ordering of our agency, the transfer of object and subject of self, in relationship to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.”[10] He continues, “Here might be the relief from the very real suffering of life in late-capitalist societies.”[11] To me, this sounds very much like what Simon Walker refers to as being “undefended,” knowing who we are in Christ, rather than being caught in anxiety. When we are undefended we know who we are because of the Christ event, and in those moments we are free to be the leader God calls us to be.
[1] Vincent Miller, Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture, Bloomsbury Academic, NY, (2003), 1.
[2] Ibid, 15.
[3] Schultz, Will, Why This Text Matters, The Protestant Work Ethic, accessed on YouTube, October 14, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2SDBExBxHs
[4] Jason Paul Clark, “Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogenesis in the relationship,”135, quoting Polanyi 106, 107.
[5] Vincent Miller, Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture, Bloomsbury Academic, NY, (2003), 5.
[6] Max Weber, The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
[7] 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
[8] Matthew Hedstrom, Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture, Cambridge University Press and Assessment, 2008.
[9] Vincent Miller, Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture, Bloomsbury Academic, NY, (2003),15.
[10] Jason Clark, “Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogenesis in the relationship,” 236.
[11] Ibid.
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?11 responses to “Commodification Touches Everything!”
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The ”spirit of capitalism has become such a “power” in our world it holds sway over every single thing we could think of.
That made me wonder, is capitalism possibly one of the many “principalities and POWERS” we find in Ephesians 6. And if so, how do we stand against it by properly using the armor and weapons of the Spirit?
Thanks for the challenge, Kally!
I definitely think it is one of the powers. I found the quote below on a blog post written by a guy (who I’ve never heard of) named, Ted Grimsrud, when looking for a summary of Wink’s theology on the powers and principalities. I think he offers a good understanding.
“The New Testament offers a crucial insight that should govern how we think about all the Powers. The Powers are simultaneously (1) a necessary part of the good creation, providing the ligaments of human social existence, the structure and even languages that we require to function, (2) part of creation as fallen, with a tendency to seek to usurp God’s centrality and pervert God’s purposes for the good of the whole, and (3) part of creation as the object of God’s redeeming work, seeking to heal and transform brokenness into wholeness.
“To put the thesis of these three volumes in its simplest form: The Powers are good. The Powers are fallen. The Powers must be redeemed. These three statement must be held together, for each, by itself, is not only untrue but downright mischievous. ” The link to the blog post is: https://peacetheology.net/2012/05/12/a-tribute-to-walter-wink/
I appreciate that Wink believes the powers can be redeemed. I forget that sometimes.
I don’t know why when I asked you that question I totally forgot we had already asked-and-answered with Wink being the resource.
It’s funny, as we ride this bullet train of the doctoral program I can’t always keep straight what’s already been discussed. I’m fearful that I will write a post one day that is something I’ve already written before. 🙂
But I digress… redeeming the powers. Wow. That makes me want to dust off Wink and re-read. I don’t think I fully appreciated that part on my first exposure to his writing.
Great Post, Kally!
This statement really brought up additional questions for me. You state, “We easily fall into the consumeristic trap of making a production out of worship when it is a practice it, which in turn, strengthens our faith and our relationships.” How do we avoid this? I believe that you are asking the same questions or holding the same tension, you ask, “Might there be the possibility for an alternative resonance through Evangelical worship practice that redirects desire, setting up resonances that lead to better practices, as ‘counter-measures’ to the deforming forces of capitalism?” I wish I had the answer or at least some way to redirect. I had hoped that at least one of the readings would spark a solution. Perhaps that book has not yet been written!
I didn’t find the solutions offered in Miller’s book to be satisfactory. I wanted more.
As far as worship being a production, I try to remind folks (and myself) that worship is a practice. It should be done with excellence because we are leading people in the practice and for the glory of God, but we need to remember it is a practice.
Hi Kally,
I renjoyed your post and the practical tool of naming commodification, “Once the problem has been named one can begin with re-embedding practices and symbols in religious tradition.” I have been sitting here thinking of how to notice when I sense myself slipping into consumerism and what to do about it when I do. I think as we’re heading into the holidays that this is a good time for me to practice. I’m thinking of a pause and a question to ask myself. Something a long the lines of…will this purchase bring freedom or joy to me or someone else? That sounds like Marie Kondo! 🙂 Any suggestions?
Last night I was driving past TJ Maxx which is on my route to almost everywhere. I often stop just to look around and rarely leave empty handed. Yesterday I had also seen a post from a woman who has given up shopping for the year. The combo of our readings and her post made me keep driving instead of turning into the parking lot. I really wanted to go peruse but I knew I did not need anything! In other words, the purchases I would have made last night would not have brought me freedom. It might have brought me joy for a little while (who doesn’t like to wear a new shirt?) but ultimately, it would just add to my overflowing closet – the closet that definitely needs to be cleaned out!
Your husband and son aren’t wrong, are they? Everything has become more and more commodified and your mention of it is now bringing dozens of things to my mind. Even the relatively new concept of “influencers” is an example of commodification – someone’s opinions or product recommendations are now worth money and often quite a lot of it!
I’m also intrigued by your mention of daily activities that you give your congregation to do at home. I’d love some examples (offline if you prefer). I’m preparing to teach this Sunday and you’ve gotten my creative brain going! Thanks!
Kally, You write:
To me, this sounds very much like what Simon Walker refers to as being “undefended,” knowing who we are in Christ, rather than being caught in anxiety. When we are undefended we know who we are because of the Christ event, and in those moments we are free to be the leader God calls us to be.
In all of our conversations this semester – even in smaller ones, many bring the theme and focus back to Walker’s books and themes. I wonder what it is about his work that draws us in and why he was pushed out of the public realm when he was speaking on it? Thank you for making the connections you so at the end of your blog.
Kelly,
Thanks for taking me through the trail from Weber to Miller. I love the connection points.
You wrote, “The problem for Miller does not lie at the level of religious beliefs but at the level of practice.”
It was a pleasure to read how a pastor influences her congregation with “counter consumerism” practices.
Glorifying God…that the ticket.
On capitalism and its cousin consumerism, I spoke to others about this (economics is not my thing).
I spoke with the Vice President of Client services (automotive) for Epsilon (subsidiary of Publicis – a French company) Rhonda Kai, I asked the question is “capitalism sustainable.” She asked how I defined capitalism and then proceeded to say that perhaps the question is “how is capitalism changing now.”
Kai stated that, Capitalism will survive in some form or another, however, there are new forces in today’s world that can help reshape capitalism.
Enter the Generation Y (30 somethings) and Z (20’s) . These generations, said Kai, consume global information at a “staggering” pace. The consumer power they wield is tremendous and through the power of social media than can expose “industry dirty laundry” to millions of other consumers globally. Kai added that these and future generations are intensely aware of climate change, work force conditions and other socially conscious issues which impact their purchasing choices – one power. The power of “cancellation” is the other power. An example comes to mind of the “transgender” blunder of Bud Light. Through the power of social media, Budweiser has taken a major financial hit as mainstream males disengaged from the cheap (and arguably bland) beer.
Capitalism, says Kai, will have to “Grow, Learn and give back to society.
What do you think?
Shalom…
Your TJ Maxx story was a good remedy. I am curious on what to do with our implications in commodification. Is choosing not to be a part of it enough, and what do we do with choice? Do we choose to put our money elsewhere? It’s an overwhelming spiral to really start following the rabbit trail of the impact of where we shop, and who it hurts. Consumerism is such a challenging space to encounter our selves.