Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture
“Miller’s book is, at this time, the best available analysis of the impact of consumer culture on Christian faith and practice. His skillful familiarity with the tools of cultural studies, and their application to the study of religion in a consumer age, makes this essay one of the best examples of inter-disciplinary methodology in the theological field.” —Catholic Books Review (Organ Australia)“Miller’s work…is clearly written for both the theologian and the cultural critic interested in the shape of religious life in contemporary society.”—Choice (CHOICE)“[A] thorough investigation of the way religious beliefs and practices in contemporary society are dependent upon the socioeconomic factors that structure our daily lives.”—Horizons“Miller offers a critical analysis of consumer culture, not in order to condemn it as spiritually vacuous, but to discern possibilities for spiritual transformation….By affirming the potential of religious traditions to subvert the politics of the status quo and hold open a transformative option in contemporary culture, Miller’s Consuming Religion is not only provocative but hopeful.”—Christian Century (The Christian Century)“Even though I am not a person of faith, I read Miller’s book with a sense of relief. He presents a clear and direct critique of what is wrong with consumer culture, from a humane and consistent point of view….Anyone interested in how theology can be used to address problems of sustainability, inequality, or the extremes of wealth and over-consumption in our society should read this book."—Richard Wilk, professor, Gender Studies and Anthropology, Indiana University (Richard Wilk)“This creative, demanding, learned, and almost inordinately balanced book is required reading. It is a pleasure to read such an outstanding introduction to who Christians have already becomes, and to how theology can assist in the postmodern cure of souls.” –Theological Studies, 66.1, 3/05 (Theological Studies)“He successfully lays down a general framework that will be useful in stimulating and guiding the thought of future scholars and religious observers. The first half of Consuming Religion seems especially suited for teaching on both the graduate and advanced undergraduate levels, since it provides a succinct but sensitive and wide-ranging discussion of various critical theories regarding consumer culture and the fate of religion in the midst of that culture. He is able to move from a compressed discussion of Marx’s perception of culture to the work of theorists such as Henri Lefebvre, Guy Debord, and Jean Baudrillard, all in way testifying not only to his mastery of much important work in cultural theory, but also to a considerable synthesizing and didactic skill as a writer.” –Journal of the NABPR"Vincent Miller's book takes our understandingto a new level...This is not only an extremely critical (yet not cynical)analysis, but it is a wonderful read.It will be of interest to scholars in religious studies, sociology,cultural studies, as well as to theologians." —Critical Sociology(Critical Sociology)