{"id":32556,"date":"2023-04-24T21:17:08","date_gmt":"2023-04-25T04:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=32556"},"modified":"2023-04-24T21:21:20","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T04:21:20","slug":"an-alternative-perspective-on-consuming-religion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/an-alternative-perspective-on-consuming-religion\/","title":{"rendered":"An Alternative Perspective on Consuming Religion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vincent J. Miller depicts the commodification of religion in his book Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture<\/em>. In a blog review of this book, pastor W. David O. Taylor writes, \u201cThe short version of his thesis is this: the problem with a so-called consumer culture does not, ultimately, lie at the level of beliefs. It lies at the level of practices and behaviors.\u201d[1]<\/a> He further details, \u201cThe problem for Miller does not lie at the level of beliefs. It lies at the level of practices.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

There are many valid arguments about why the commodification of religion is a negative thing, but I wonder if there are any positive aspects of this trend. To pursue this train of thought, I will turn firstly to author and media expert Phil Cooke\u2019s book, Unique: Telling Your Story in the Age of Brands and Social Media<\/em> and author Craig Detweiler\u2019s book, iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Phil Cooke: Unique: Telling Your Story in the Age of Brands and Social <\/em>Media<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had the privilege of taking a course with Phil Cooke in grad school entitled, \u201cUsing Social Media to Reach Your Community.\u201d I enjoyed this class and Dr. Cooke\u2019s approach to social media. In his book, Unique: Telling Your Story in the Age of Brands and Social <\/em>Media, <\/em>Dr. Phil Cooke addresses issues critical to ministry in the twenty-first century. \u201cBranding is identity. Even in a nuclear age, there isn\u2019t a more powerful force on earth.\u201d[3]<\/a>What do these images say to you? Do you recognize them? Do they evoke a feeling or emotion?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

My guess is that you instantly recognized four out of the five of these images. Did you look at the last image and wonder? You probably did not recognize it because it is the new logo for my church. It is not widely known like the other four logos. With thousands of choices, ministries with no unique identity get overlooked no matter how great a message they have to share. I would argue that this aspect of commodification is essential in a society focused on image and branding.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Craig Detweiler: iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We cannot ignore technology and wish it away. Short of a global electromagnetic pulse like in 1996 movie Escape from LA<\/em><\/a>, technology is here to stay.<\/p>\n

We cannot live in the past. Christ calls us to live in the present and look to the future. As Craig Detweiler writes in iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives<\/em>, \u201cResenting a new technology will not halt its progress.\u201d[4]<\/sup><\/a> The Roman Roads of the first century aided in the dissemination of the gospel. The invention of the movable type printing press enabled the Protestant Reformation. The use of technology has played an integral part in the advancement of the gospel and will continue to do so in the future.<\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Embracing some aspects of consumerism is a means of advancing the gospel. Will it work in every situation and every place? Of course not. What works to make disciples in Southern California is not the same as what works in the Bible Belt or in another country. We have learned as much through our study of cultural mapping. But aspects of consumerism such as the use of social media, technology, and branding provides endless opportunity. It all depends on how we use it. I will leave you with this quote by Detweiler:<\/p>\n

\u201cOur relationship with technology alters our understanding of our world and of God. What we believe is shaped by the technologies that surround us. I want us to consider the nature of technology itself\u2014is it a lifesaving gift a la Noah\u2019s Ark or a form of folly like the tower of Babel? The short answer is \u201cyes.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> W. David. O. Taylor, \u201cReview of Vincent Miller\u2019s *Consuming Religion*\u201d Diary of an Arts Pastor<\/em> (blog), March 10, 2010 http:\/\/artspastor.blogspot.comp\/2010\/03\/review-of-vincent-millers-consuming.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Taylor.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Phil Cooke, Unique: Telling Your Story in the Age of Brands and Social Media<\/em>. (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2012), pg. 36.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Craig Detweiler, iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives <\/em>(Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2013), Introduction, eBooks.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Detweiler, eBooks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vincent J. Miller depicts the commodification of religion in his book Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture. In a blog review of this book, pastor W. David O. Taylor writes, \u201cThe short version of his thesis is this: the problem with a so-called consumer culture does not, ultimately, lie at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2736],"class_list":["post-32556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-miller-clark","cohort-dlgp01"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/155"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32556"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32568,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32556\/revisions\/32568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}