Consumerism as religion – Part I : The Dinner Party Test
11 Oct 2007
Well I’m 8 months part time into my PhD, and still need to work on the ‘dinner party test’, whereby when someone asks what I am researching, I can give a short cogent answer that most people can understand, compared the to the academic thesis title and description that might as well be in Klingon for anyone not doing a PhD in theology.
I now usually answer with different versions, depending on how interested the person asking is. The short version is currently something like this:
“I’m trying to show how consumerism functions like a religion, and the implications for people wanting to become and grow as Christians”
or the next longer version:
“I’m exploring how consumerism functions as a religious system, and the affects that has on people who want to form Christian identity, in particular in relationship with other Christians as the Church”
and the next level for theology students, or people who want to look at me blankly:
“Well my research thesis title is ‘Ecclesiological Realism: The challenge of Capitalism and the Market to Concrete Missional Ecclesiologies.’ Within that I am trying to explore and understand the nature of Capitalism and the Market as a competing religious system, it’s affects upon Christian religious beliefs and practices, and the implications for formulating appropriate concrete missional ecclesiologies in response.”
I’m going to make a series of posts over the next few weeks, and unpack what I am trying to show within that broad area, for the 1 or 2 people who might be interested :-)
Tagged: Church, Consumerism, Culture, Ph.D, Religion, Thesis
38 comments
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Comment by James Prescott
9.19 am on 11 Oct 2007
You sum it up pretty well Jase! Sounds like an interesting course.
Comment by Timothy Wright
10.41 am on 11 Oct 2007
Have you ever done an talk that is available as a MP3 that is available . ?
Tim
Comment by Jason
10.45 am on 11 Oct 2007
Do you mean a talk on this topic? If so , not yet but watch this space.
Comment by Timothy Wright
10.49 am on 11 Oct 2007
Yes on this topic? Do it, it needs to be done.
Tim
Comment by GMD
10.52 am on 11 Oct 2007
In the business world this is called an ‘elevator pitch’, if you’re stuck in a lift with someone and the question ‘what do you do’ comes up you have the time for the lift to reach it’s destination to explain – which might not be long!
I’ll happily be 1 of the 2 people who are interested :)
Comment by Jason
4.26 pm on 11 Oct 2007
Maybe I’m stuck in the basement :-)
Comment by kv
11.02 am on 11 Oct 2007
its fascinating: the more we package our faith, the more dramatically christ emerges. consumerism depends upon consolidation and control. how much of our christian identity is formed by our forming God in our own image…? how much is formed by God making us into his own image? a consumer christ is to tame -and too much like me!
Comment by Jason
11.43 am on 11 Oct 2007
KV, I tried to reply to you on email, but the address you used failed?
Thanks for your comment :-)
Comment by fernando
12.09 pm on 11 Oct 2007
Good test and good thoughts. Look forward to the “unpacking.”
Comment by Geoff Matheson
12.20 pm on 11 Oct 2007
Well, the one or two looks bigger than initially stated. I know that I’m certainly in that group. Looking forward to hearing more!
Comment by Yak
1.04 pm on 11 Oct 2007
I have always believed that all people worship something even if they do not truly realize it and often consumerism and Mamon instead of our Lord God. When people shop, what they are often searching for is not the goods that they shop for but rather the social relations, the personal and social transformation, personal and social identity, and the alterity that the goods come to objectify. It is all very sad.
Comment by graham
1.08 pm on 11 Oct 2007
How about just, “I’m aiming to offer an appreciative response and corrective to Pete Ward’s Liquid Church.” ;-)
Comment by Jason
4.28 pm on 11 Oct 2007
That would be cheeky, maybe ’solid church’ :-)
Comment by David
3.59 pm on 11 Oct 2007
I’m looking forward to reading more of your unpacking.
Comment by Matt Wiebe
4.05 pm on 11 Oct 2007
Hey Jason
Perfect clarity to me, and very interesting. However, thinking of consumerism as a competing religious system isn’t a new thought to me, so I’m probably not your ideal “pitch target.”
Looking forward to what you have to say! (I’m sure you are too ;) )
Comment by Jason
4.29 pm on 11 Oct 2007
The front end, of consumerism as religion certainly isn’t new, what that means for ecclesiology and how we do church and mission, is the real thing I am interested in :-)
Comment by Jonathan Brink
6.42 pm on 11 Oct 2007
Jason, I would highly recommend you listen to this discussion between Bill Hybels and Leonard Schlesinger.
http://www.willowcreek.org.nz/shared/products/productAudio.aspx?id=LS9807
Leonard was the Harvard professor who helped create Taco Bell’s 59 cent campaign that radically changed the company. In it he talks a lot about the very concepts you are speaking of: the competitive nature between consumerism and faith in culture.
Comment by Jason
7.27 pm on 11 Oct 2007
Great link, thanks Jonathan.
Comment by Jon
6.45 pm on 11 Oct 2007
Hi Jase,
Really look forward to some proper analysis on this. I expect you’ll write the thesis in language 3 – but perhaps a paper / pamphlet or book in ‘normal’ language to follow? I would be interested if you could pose some questions that people could ask themselves to measure the impact of consumerism in their own lives.
Comment by Jason
7.28 pm on 11 Oct 2007
I’m hoping to write that kind of thing, alongside the research, a shorter easier read. Thanks for the encouragement!
Comment by Paul
7.20 pm on 11 Oct 2007
Awesome!! Does that means we need to have another dinner party soon to test the ‘how many glasses of wine do we need before we agree we’ve saved the world’ test??? :)
Comment by Jason
7.28 pm on 11 Oct 2007
How many glasses of wine does it take, until a PhD thesis sounds interesting? :-0
Comment by Paul
9.18 am on 12 Oct 2007
surely that’s bottles ;)
Comment by James Prescott
10.47 am on 12 Oct 2007
While you’re at it, why not cases?
Comment by James Prescott
8.58 am on 12 Oct 2007
Consumerism the the number one religion today. We practice it most on weekends down the local shopping centre. Its almost inevitable that sometimes we act like ‘consumers’ of Jesus. The interesting thing is whether unknowingly box Jesus into a segment of our life where its comfortable for us, or whether we’re willing to be totally out of our comfort zone.
I think its absolutely crucial that we examine if and how we are consuming Jesus and what we can do about it practically as Christians. It will be interesting to hear your conclusions and thoughts on that Jase.
How can we make a Phd interesting to someone with no interest in studying theology or isn’t academically minded? Now there is a challenge!
BTW Jase sent you an e-mail, but not sure you got it. Let me know.
Comment by Helen
8.58 pm on 12 Oct 2007
Jason, what’s the dinner party answer to “So what are the implications for Christians?”
Comment by Jason
12.59 am on 13 Oct 2007
That will be another post :-)
Comment by Helen
5.08 pm on 13 Oct 2007
fair enough :)
In view of your thesis topic I was interested to get to a section on consumerism as religion in Everything Must Change, which I’ve been reading this week.
Comment by Jason
5.53 pm on 14 Oct 2007
That’s a great chapter :-)
Comment by Helen
6.50 pm on 14 Oct 2007
Yes…it’s an interesting book! I’m posting my thoughts on it tomorrow; also I’m planning to go hear Brian give an academic lecture Tuesday evening.
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Comment by kv
9.01 am on 13 Oct 2007
hi jason.
try resonate7@gmail.com.
thanks!
kv
Comment by Peter Carino
5.00 pm on 15 Oct 2007
Jason,
I also find it a challenge to succinctly describe to our congregation what it means to be missional, how postmodernism affects us and how people hear the gospel, and so on. That is why conversation is so important, is allows for a give and take to clarify and build the ideas. One of our other pastors and I started a two part series yesterday dealing with Matthew 25 24:-30 (the so-called parable of the talents) and Luke 19:11-27 (typically understood as a parallel passage.) The point that we were taking is that in the west we read these two as having the exact same meaning, even though the context does not warrant it. It has been a challenge to help people read Luke 19 without capitalism being the lens they view it through. In fact, Jesus turns capitalism on its head: his kingdom is not built around what you can produce. I’ll be posting the podcast this week and send you a link if you’d like (like you really have time for it :))
Peter
Comment by Jason
2.17 pm on 18 Oct 2007
Peter, I think we all share that challenge! :-)
Comment by Ian
12.27 am on 16 Oct 2007
Jason
I don’t know how good your blog-ears are, but in case you haven’t seen this, it seemd as though it might have a few leads worth following up…
http://baldblogger.blogspot.com/2007/10/market-shares-yielding-dividends-or.html
Ian
Comment by Jason
2.16 pm on 18 Oct 2007
Thanks for the heads up on that.
Pingback by Thoughts on Reflective Practice at Jason Clark
10.23 am on 7 Apr 2008
[...] posting the draft program outline for this new doctor of ministry track, and I’ll be posting more about my PhD, on consumerism and religion, in terms of my focus, and what I am trying to show with my thesis and [...]
Trackback by Johnny's Cache
12.04 pm on 11 Apr 2008
Get me off this crazy ride!…
……
Comment by Johnny
3.04 am on 14 Apr 2008
Hey,
Nice post! Actually your website inspired me to look into nested comments for my blog which, after an hour of hacking, I managed to get to work right with my theme.
I’m all for challenging consumption. Great blog btw.
Cheers!
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