Religious Consumerism in the S & D 500
Vincent Miller’s Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture makes bold comparisons between religion as a commodity and religious people as the consumer. His narrative is framed for readers within the postmodern American society that has historically supported the paradigm that the US is a nation of consumers and a nation of believers. This post will examine the authors relationship between consumer and commodity against the backdrop of the Armor of God coin ministry. Commodification transforms goods, services, ideas, and people into commodities of trade while consumerism encourages society to consume more commodities, which leads to a blessed and prosperous economy.
I connected right away with the idea of promoting the Armor of God coin ministry as a commodity. During further reflection I asked, surely consumers would want to take advantage of something that helped them resist Satan and defend against Spiritual Warfare? “Constitutively” speaking, putting on Jesus Christ promotes an organized existence and transformation of the Armor of God coin ministry into a type of spiritual commodity.[1] By leveraging Miller’s “treasure troves” line of thinking, the message behind the Armor of God coin fits his ideas on religious consumerism. The Armor of God coin is not only an important artifact and symbol, but to the religious consumer, it is a found treasure of great value that dates to the 1st Century.[2]
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hat about the pushback from culturally evolved modern religious societies? How will they respond to a spiritual warfare commodity that helps them resist Satan and defend against spiritual warfare? Miller suggests that for many Christians, it is “easier for religion to become and empty myth than to be the bearer of uncomfortable challenges.”[3] While salvation is free, it does come with a cost and risk that many consumers are just not ready to add to their religious portfolio. Why is that? Because Satan, the great deceiver, and his legions of demons are continually creating fear in the spiritual marketplace, which causes consumer fear and timidity in their spiritual investing strategies. Like many authors, Miller highlights the effects of Satanic influence in the world, but stays safe and soft instead of naming the source of the sin problem, Satan. For example, Miller says, “the real problem with consumer culture lies in the structures and practices that systematically confuse and misdirect well-intentioned people seeking to do good.”[4] Translated through the Armor of God lens Miller’s “structures” equate to Satan, demons, evil powers, and dark forces; while his “practices” compare to the evil schemes and destructive wiles of Satan.
Wilder critiques Miller for being soft on the consumer’s opportunity “to make moral decisions about their consumption.”[5] I agree with Wilder and hope that readers do not think they get a “pass” on their stewardship responsibility when consuming spiritual and worldly commodities. While engaging another reviewer of Miller’s Consuming Religion work I had a disturbing “ah ha” moment regarding the implications and the stark reality of the commodification of “all forms of culture, including ideologies of resistance.”[6] Stated plainly, the commodity of evil is doing quite good in the S & D 500 Index (Satan and Demons). Who would think that we would be consumers in a good-vs-evil spiritual marketplace?
Miller’s “remedy for the problem of commodified religion is to fight back.”[7] I agree, this is a fight, a struggle, and battle based on Biblical precepts between good or evil, right or wrong, and truth or lie. He says to fight back “on the level of practices and structures rather than meanings and beliefs.”[8] Miller’s fight against religious consumerism inspires me to stand firm in my fight against spiritual warfare desensitization. He calls for “re-embedding” doctrines and practices within the body of Christ. The Armor of God doctrine and putting on Christ in a six-step “armoring up” practice is the battle cry that I hear and march faithfully toward.[9] Putting on the Armor of God is not a bricolage, but instead a precise and divinely inspired practice that can help the consumer live a more authentic incarnational life in the spiritual and secular marketplace. Zagano comments that the idea of bricolage, or a “do-it-yourself spirituality” does not succeed in the long term in God’s economy.[10] Miller concludes his book with some original thought about “lived religious practices” within the context of religious consumerism.[11]
Overall Consuming Religion is a good source book for a historical review of what religious theorists have to say about consumerism. I gained some new insights into my research on the problem of spiritual warfare. I am better prepared for the pushback regarding my research on the commodity of evil, resisting Satan, and defending against spiritual warfare. I will synthesize Miller’s recommendations to fight against evil “structures and practices” into the Armor of God coin ministry in hopes of reaching even one Christian leader who can learn and train others how to defend against spiritual warfare.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
[1] Courtney Wilder. “Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture (Book Review).” The Journal of Religion 85, no. 4 (2005): 681.
[2] Vincent J. Miller. Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture. (New York: Continuum, 2004) 70.
[3] Ibid., 94.
[4] Ibid., 225.
[5] Wilder, Journal of Religion, 682.
[6] Matthew S. Hedstrom, “Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture.” Church History 77, no. 1 (03, 2008): 248.
[7] Ibid., 249.
[8] Miller, Consuming Religion, 180.
[9] Hedstrom, Church History, 249.
[10] Phyllis Zagano. “Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture.” Spiritus 5, no. 1 (2005): 122.
[11] Ibid.
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Mike
3 responses to “Religious Consumerism in the S & D 500”
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Hi Mike,
I’ve been having a tough time understanding the whole Armor of God coin ministry. So when you positively defined it as a commodity we need to use, my alarm bells began to go off. I think the danger of commodifying prayer is that it then turns into what pagans would consider magic. In my understanding, magic attempts to manipulate God (or demons) by saying the right words, having the right formulae, etc.
I don’t believe you mean this. I’d welcome your response to help me better understand your perspective. Thanks!
Hi Mike,
When you said this, “Miller’s “remedy for the problem of commodified religion is to fight back”, then I immediately thought this, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
I would assume this is what you mean by “standing firm”? I also would assume, in learning from you this year, that standing firm involves every piece of the AOG.
Thanks for the reminders.
Mike, thanks for your comparative with the Armor of God to the text and differentiating consumerism with commodities. Have you had any feedback around your coins that smacks of consumerism for the sake of it- possibly not for the intention of drawing near to God? Also, do you sell them online? I wonder if so, what that is like.