Religion and Consumerism
The book by Vincent Miller has been a significant challenge to me as much as it has been a profoundly and theologically structured. What struck me most was part of its title “Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture.” I related this with our Quaker Christian Faith and Practice, and one of the essential values of the Quakers is Simplicity. This is a value that teaches all members of the Quaker community to live a life of responsibility and never to extravagantly use the resources available for one use. Always know that there is someone somewhere in the world going without certain amenities. Reading this book made me reflect on this Quaker theological reasoning among its followers since the late seventeenth century when it was established is seen as addressing what has come to be an eyesore in the world community.
Sometimes I find myself completely lost when I read some books like this one from the eyes of an African who lives in communities that do not understand the meaning of consumerism. I live in the community of scarcity and Africa will for a long time be a community of scarcity and consumerism sound like telling a story of an affluent community somewhere on this continent. Every year Kenya among many other African countries are always appealing for food to some communities facing hunger. The hunger is sorted by just having a simple basic meal of beans and corn, which is donated. Multiple cultural dynamics are not closer to the globalization process is worrying the Africa nations in competing with the well-developed structure of modern capitalism. As much as I understand from what position Miller was writing this, I do not see where he is addressing some cultural differences especially Africa in this process. African people are surviving from hand to mouth; the western capitalism that was introduced to the continent through religion is many years ahead of the continent that is struggling to be on the same level playing ground.
Consumer culture forms people in consumerist habits of use and interpretation, which believers, in turn, bring to their religious beliefs and practices. It has been a practice in many parts of the African states since the time of colonialism and missionaries that thrived on the colonial model, people still believe in waiting to be given aid to survive. When the African states got independence, they adopted the old colonial style of leadership where they saw it as the leader takes it all and the poor continue to remain poor and serves the rich who is in power. Religious leaders are not exceptional either. This has now graduated to a very high level of corruption which is looked at as “everybody for themselves but God for us all” is now the concept of massive looting of their resources and keeping them out of their place to somewhere. However, Miller raised a similar concern in this book when he said: Our analysis has shown that the danger of cultural erosion in globalizing, capitalism is not something faced by only fragile, dominated cultures; it also endangers the Western traditions at the heart of the societies that have originated and profit from globalization. I tend to disagree with Miller’s analysis, simply because, the effect of this is to the cultures that have been forced to adopt a culture that is not part of its DNA and the Western cannot imagine being in the same challenge. There is a joke that has been on for some time now that says; “When the missionaries came to the African communities and were welcome, they gave the African the Bible and they took other resources and while the Africans concentrated on praying while closed their eyes. Moreover, when they opened their eyes they had lost all the resources but told God would restore to them in due course.” As much as this is not true but when discussing consumerism in Africa, is like abuse when there is nothing to consume but just enough and sometimes not enough. That is why Tourish in his book The Darkside of Transformation Leadership: Acritical perspective recommend Spirituality at Work that would promote spiritual management and leadership development. It is in the same spirit that Meyer wrote in his book The Culture Map that; Good communication is all about clarity and explicitness and accountability for accurate transmission of the message is placed firmly on the communicator. Therefore, the Christian Faith and practice of the Quaker church value on Simplicity was developed to counter the ideology of consumerism.
About the Author
John Muhanji
I am the Director Africa Ministries Office of Friends United Meeting. I coordinate all Quaker activities and programs in the Quaker churches and school mostly in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The focus of my work is more on leadership development and church planting in the region especially in Tanzania.. Am married with three children all grown up now. I love playing golf as my exercise hobby. I also love reading.5 responses to “Religion and Consumerism”
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John, thank you for your informative post. I enjoy hearing the different perspectives from those outside of the US. I also found your joke interesting, since African Americans have pretty much the same joke here. I also think scarcity can produce consumerism because as soon as you acquire any wealth, you want to show it. I know from growing up in Detroit, the once auto capital of the US, many African Americans who migrated from the American South put a lot of value in purchasing new cars and driving them back South to show that they have made it. In many ways, cars had more status than homes. Defeating poverty and the systems that create it, can also be used to combat consumerism. Education is key, which is why the work you are doing is so vital and important. Blessings!
Thank you Mary for your responses. It is true that when a poor person get access to some little resources, the whole world must know he is there to be counted. That is wht I mensioned that, a few who gain some resources show them up but that has encouraged many African leaders indulge in coruption to acquire quick wealth at the expenses of the majority. The economic disdadvantage within the African continent creates consumerism not on the same level as the west. Therefore, our consumerism is in churches praying and asking God for breakthrough. It is good to do that but at time its been exaggerated to the extend that people are in churches everyday praying and doing no economic activities for wealth creation.
But as time is changing we are equally exoeriencing the same due to globalization although to a low scale.
John,
I so appreciate hearing your perspective. Your reference to colonialism and the missionaries is critical for we in the West to hear. How often we have thought we were helping when it fact we provided hurtful help. Thank you for reminding us that Kingdom values, such as the Quaker value of simplicity, are the most globally effective guides for us all.
I appreciate that Tammy but it is takibg too long to be corrected. But sometimes I wonder why scarcity is deep in the African communities and the gap between the poor and the rich is growing wider and wider since the countries got independence. That is why when we talk of Religion and Consumerism, what comes to my mind is the consumerism of spirtuality. Consuming of more of God than anything else. Looking for help or overdependence on God’s miracles and not following what James says, faith without action is dead. But they are living within the borders of Capitalism and no excuse whatsover.
John,
Thank you so much for teaching and informing us in the West of the African experience. It would appear that Miller is expressing a North American view instead of a global perspective. Your Quaker heritage also enriches us with its focus on simplicity. How progressive of the Quakers to recognize back in the seventeenth century that Christians needed to focus on needs rather than the unfettered wants of consumerism and capitalism. You examplity the strength of our LGP program, a different global view of faith and practice. Thanks again for teaching me.