The Christian ConsumerLiving Faithfully in a Fragile World

Abstract

At the root of concerns about consumerism and its social, spiritual, and environmental impact is a fundamental confusion about consumption itself. Consumption, the physical throughput of materials through human lives, is essential for life. A robust model of ethical consumption provides an effective antidote for the excesses of consumerism. This book provides one such model, drawn from the Christian tradition. Rather than looking to ethical theory, conclusions arise from the lived practice and theological reflections of exemplary Christians throughout history (among them, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, John Woolman, Ellen G. White, Sergei Bulgakov, Dorothy Day, L. Shannon Jung, and Ronald Sider). Thinkers throughout the Christian tradition agree that good consumption avoids sin, embraces creation, loves the neighbor, and anticipates the eschaton. This set of four considerations can inform the discernment of everyday consumer choices and longer-term lifestyle decisions. The book includes discussions of Christian practices such as fasting, gratitude, solidarity, gift giving, Sabbath keeping, and the Eucharist. Insights from the Christian tradition equip consumers with tools and models to help them pursue considered, ethical consumption in a consumerist context.