Brand Jesus

I have been reading a book titled Brand Jesus: Christianity in a Consumerist Age by Tyler Wigg Stevenson. The author has a degree from Yale Divinity School and does a pretty good job sounding like he does. I disagree with some of his premises, however, there are some very interesting concepts discussed throughout the book that have brought me into some deep contemplation.

Basically, Stevenson argues that all of us purchase things that define who we are, or who we want to be. Hundreds of years ago we went from a society that produced to a society that consumed, rarely do any of us "produce" our own possessions (i.e. self-sustained food production, weaving our own clothing, etc.). Since this is the case for nearly every one of us, we use our consumption to define who we are.

"Our image, our identity, who we are in respect to others, how others view us, and how we view ourselves -- in a consumerist society, all of this is up for sale in the products and services that we choose. This means that we become the products."

And it doesn't just stop with our culture, it permeates the Church as well -- that is Brand Jesus, an impostor that poses as truth and allows consumerism to grab hold of our spirituality. Here is a particularly amusing quote from Stevenson:

"Brand Jesus batizes consumerism and is utterly amenable to the presence of other brands. Are you a Christian yuppie? Enjoy Brand Jesus alongside Mercedes, Dom Perignon, Lacoste. How about those Christian punks? Brand Jesus rocks hardcore with P.O.D., Kerusso, and NOTW. For all the Christian patriots out there, know that Brand Jesus salutes you, along with manifest destiny, partisan politics, and anything that combines crosses with flags and/or bald eagles."

Now, this is funny because although we may not fall into any of the above categories, we can probably think of a different "Brand Jesus" category we fit our spirituality into. When we really think about it though, it no longer is that funny -- we have begun to unknowingly worship Mammon.

The conclusion is made that we are all part of the consumerist system that we have in this country and there is very little we can really do to change that. His argument is actually that we SHOULDN'T fight to change the system -- and I agree with him. Stevenson writes:

"any actionable plan against Brand Jesus [a fake Christianity based on consumerism] is doomed. And that is because consumerism is better at cultural judo than any of us will ever be: It will take our own efforts and turn them against us. Any active attempt to resist consumerism can and will be packaged, branded, marketed and sold back to us. And when we consume our own identity as the resistance -- as we invariably will -- we will have surrendered, in advance, the very battle that we aspired to fight."

I am reminded of Revelation 18 where Babylon is condemned in John's dream because they have hoarded their riches, they have traded and purchased, they have grown "rich from her excessive luxuries." John goes on and writes: "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more." In Revelation 18:13 he goes as far as to say those cargoes were the "souls of men." Consumerism can wrap around our souls like a tumor and choke out any life.

We have but one choice when it comes to fighting the consumerism that is plaguing His chosen people, not fight the system that has created so much pain and anguish, but remove ourselves from that system. Verse 4 says:

Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
[speaking of Babylon]
"Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins."

This is our only choice. To be honest, I have no idea how we do it, but we can no longer go on living like the consumerism that permeates our lives is not a problem. As Paul writes in Ephesians 5, "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." We can no longer sleep as the evil one destroys our homes.

"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."