Capitalism informs how we share, but it isn't the only option
jonnyrashid.substack.com
I want to start with this quotation from a book that influenced me quite a bit: The Economy of Desire by Daniel Bell. “… the habits we learn as consumers in the market economy tend to carry over to other dimensions of life. Thus we are conditioned to approach religion as a commodity, as just another consumer good alongside toothpaste and vacation homes. Think, for instance, of the commonplace practice of ‘church shopping.’ This is to say, capitalism encouraged a shallow, decontextualized engagement with religious beliefs… These objections do not require anything of me; they entail no particular commitment or engagement. They do not bind me to any particular people or community. Rather, they function only to serve the end(s) or purpose(s) I choose, which, in the case of religious choices, might include shoring up my self-image as ‘spiritual,’ or provide meaning amid the stresses of my middle-class life or the right values of my children.” (p. 21)
Capitalism informs how we share, but it isn't the only option
Capitalism informs how we share, but it isn't…
Capitalism informs how we share, but it isn't the only option
I want to start with this quotation from a book that influenced me quite a bit: The Economy of Desire by Daniel Bell. “… the habits we learn as consumers in the market economy tend to carry over to other dimensions of life. Thus we are conditioned to approach religion as a commodity, as just another consumer good alongside toothpaste and vacation homes. Think, for instance, of the commonplace practice of ‘church shopping.’ This is to say, capitalism encouraged a shallow, decontextualized engagement with religious beliefs… These objections do not require anything of me; they entail no particular commitment or engagement. They do not bind me to any particular people or community. Rather, they function only to serve the end(s) or purpose(s) I choose, which, in the case of religious choices, might include shoring up my self-image as ‘spiritual,’ or provide meaning amid the stresses of my middle-class life or the right values of my children.” (p. 21)