Sunday, November 11, 2007
Christian Capitalism?
How can a person worship the God of Justice and follow Jesus’ radical message of subversive resistance to the values of Empire while operating a thriving business within a capitalist society? It is no secret that capitalism is built to reward greed at the expense of others. Gordon Gekko - the fictional character from the 1987 film Wall Street - is an icon and has inspired a generation of Wall Street capitalists by insisting, “Greed is good”. He might be correct in assuming that greed is the fuel feeding capitalism but history has proven that this mentality always fails to deliver anything satisfying.
I run a business, own property, buy products, sell services, employee people, construct lucrative business deals, and at the end of the day, I have to admit I benefit from our capitalist society. I often question my prosperity and the power I’ve been awarded to change lives through my business dealings. I am a capitalist, yet I view the Bible as a socialist document and I accept its principles as the driving force in my life. How does my biblical ideal for justice coexist with the reality that I clearly benefit from the unjust results of capitalism?
What Does The Bible Say About Greed? The Bible’s long narrative of the nation of Israel begins with the desperate cry of mistreated workers who have fallen victim to the power of Empire and its obsessive greed. The Exodus began with workers who dared to say “No more bricks!” The Israelite’s captured their response to the imperial values of Egypt in a 10 point list of subversive anti-Pharaoh statements about their new community (the Ten Commandments). This subversive text begins with the remembrance of their bondage in Egypt and how they were delivered in order to create something new. Located within that list of rules for building their new society, one item sticks out as something radically different. The centerpiece to this alternate-view of how to build a community is the fourth commandment (remember the Sabbath).
Walter Brueggemann suggests that fundamentally keeping the Sabbath must involve: “periodic, regular disengagement from systems of productivity whereby the world uses people up to exhaustion. That disengagement refers also to culture-produced expectations for frantic leisure, frantic consumptions, or frantic exercise.”The purpose of the Sabbath, which literally means to desist or stop, is to withdraw from the forces of Empire whose goal is to exhaust everything it touches. We must realize that any society operating within the normalcy of Empire will inevitably crumble as it burns up the very resources which once made it strong. This is even true when the most valuable resources of a society are its people. The commandment to remember the Sabbath reminds Israel never to become like Pharaoh.
The more I understand the Bible’s subversive perspective on reality, I'm beginning to realize it can actually work. It seems evident that most people have eyes to read these ancient texts but they cannot see its truth. It is sad that we have yet to convince more people to open their eyes and implement these ideals on a national and global level. I have hope and I agree with Jesus that one day we will.
5 comments:
"It is sad that we have yet to convince more people to open their eyes and implement these ideals on a national and global level."
While I agree that the ideal society described in the Bible is in many regards the opposite of our current capitalistic society, I do not agree that we should "implement" these ideals on a national and global level. The issue is that of the heart. The Zion society of Enoch and the early Christians was one in which they entered voluntarily based on love of Christ and their fellow man. Trying to impose or legislate the zion principles of having "all things in common" will fail. It is putting the cart before the horse. Once people come unto Christ and covenant to give themselves as a "living sacrifice" then they will create that ideal society willingly.
David,
I agree! Any type of society imposed on people would be horrible (kind of like imposing an unjust war against our will). I'm talking about implementing ideals not enforcing anything.
Please don't switch my words from "implement" to "impose". I firmly support social compassion implemented via a free, liberal, democratic government chosen by the people. I'm even a capitalist, but I think the changes we need are a theological shift which can happen in our religious movements and could motivate people to CHOOSE to implement God's will via a free, liberal, democratic government (provided we could get that back in the post-Bush era).
Shifts in ideals should come from the bottom up not the top down and religion is the best tool to create those grass root shifts in ideals.
Yes, I think we're on the same page. My interpretation of 'implement' to 'impose' should have read more 'we should not implement policies if that means imposing policies on a people who are not willing or ready for such living.'
I think it's exciting to see these movements such as social entrepreneurship and social enterprise building steam, that bring together the power of the market and social compassion.
What is your take on inspiring that "theological shift" among a national population that widely tunes out if they perceive 'God' or 'religion' are behind calls for change?
I think a lot of the principles can be 'preached' using a vocabulary that won't chase people away.
How do we unite and engage those who have a balanced understanding of capitalism and Christian compassion and help them be social change agents?
Thanks for comments David. I have 2 points that address your questions:
1) We've made a mistake to assume that spending to generate social success is only possible through welfare. We need to change everyone's perspective on this issue. We are trapped into assuming small government is the answer because the only type of big government we can imagine is an oppressive communist government or a wasteful bloated corporation. Instead, lets imagine a strong government that wisely taxes those who benefit the most from our government (we pay equal to our actual benefit) and then spend through economic growth programs (not welfare) back in at the bottom by generating jobs to stimulate growth and move people from the lower to middle class. This has proven to work in our nation's history.
2) Let's not assume (as I think you may) that the problem is non-Christians needing to learn Christian values. I would suggest that the problem is mostly Christians who have implemented economic programs that reward the richest 2% of the population but neglect the rest. Christians are supporting war and trickle-down economics in exchange for supreme court justices. That is great for oil companies and government war contractors (Bush/Cheney supporters) but not so good for anyone else. Fundamentalists are prepetuating the numbness and blindness of its masses.
We need clergy that will realize the Bible is political and has appeal to everyone when taught on this deeper level. I agree with you that the vocabulary is a problem, but really it is a result of poor theology which focuses its efforts on preservation of language and searching for after-life status rather than establishing God's will on Earth.
People don't tune out when Christ is preached IF we acutally preach Christ and not fundamentalist superstition. Martin Luther King was able to preach Christ to the nation without superstition and it changed us forever.
well said, and rereading my post you're right that that was a faulty assumption. I think you're dead on in regards to the rest of your diagnosis.
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