Religion, Consumerism and Sustainability: Paradise Lost? (Consumption and Public Life)

This Collection Analyses Relationships Between Religious And Consumption Practices And Cultures, And Their Diverse Responses To Ecological Crisis, Ranging From Indifference To Engagement. The Book Includes Contributions On Japan, Israel, Iran, Slovakia And Britain--provided By Publisher. Machine Generated Contents Note: Introduction--l. Thomas -- Part I: Critical Perspectives On Religion, Consumerism And Sustainability -- Consumerism As Theodicy: An Exploration Of Secular And Religious Meaning Functions In Modern Society; --t. Jackson &--m. Pepper -- Not Exactly A Selling Point: Religion And Reality Tv; --n. Buxton -- Living In A Material World: Religious Commodification And Resistance--a. Mukadam & S. Mawani -- Life In One Dimension; --right Reverend G. Cray -- Sustaining Spiritualities In Consumer Cultures; --l. Thomas -- Part Ii: Global Dimensions, Everyday Practices -- Faith In Ethical Consumption; --p. Cloke, C. Barnett, N. Clarke &a. Malpass -- Islam In The Globalized World: Consumerism And Environmental Ethics In Iran--h. Godazgar -- Consumerism In Slovak Catholic Homes--z. Burikova -- Everyday Religious Practices And Material Culture In Contemporary Japan--i. Daniels -- Whats Not Spent Is Lost: Consumption Practices Of Pakistani Muslims In Britain; --k. Harris -- From The Parliament To The Market: Political Consumerism And The Fight For Sabbath--g. Ben-porat & O. Shamir -- Endnote--l. Thomas. Edited By Lyn Thomas. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Notes on Contributors......Page 11 Introduction......Page 16 Part I Sustaining Life: Theories and Representations of Religion and Consumerism......Page 30 1 Consumerism as Theodicy: Religious and Secular Meaning Functions in Modern Society......Page 32 2 Not Exactly a Selling Point? Religion and Reality TV......Page 52 3 Living in a Material World: Religious Commodification and Resistance......Page 70 4 Sustaining Spiritualities in Consumer Cultures......Page 87 Part II Everyday Practices of Religion and Consumption and Their Environmental Dimensions: Paradise Lost?......Page 106 5 Faith in Ethical Consumption......Page 108 6 Islam in the Globalised World: Consumerism and Environmental Ethics in Iran......Page 130 7 Consumerism in Slovak Catholic Homes......Page 152 8 ‘What’s Not Spent Is Lost’: Consumption Practices of Pakistani Muslims in Britain......Page 167 9 From the Parliament to the Market: Political Consumerism and the Fight for Sabbath......Page 190 Index......Page 210 To varying degrees, classic religions are associated with critique of materialistic values. Onto this opposition of the market and the temple other binaries have been grafted, so that `North' and `West' are portrayed as secular and materialistic, `South' and `East' either as `tigers' pursuing western-style affluence and economic growth or locked into retrospective fundamentalisms. These characterisations are called into question in a context of diversity and global movements of peoples and goods. In this collection this complexity is addressed in an analysis of the interconnections between religious and consumption practices and cultures, and the ways in which both are responding to the ecological threat posed by continuous economic growth. International in scope, the book combines empirical and theoretical work in its attempt to interrogate the traditional opposition of spiritual and materialistic values, and to explore the interplay of religious and consuming passions in contemporary cultures. This analysis leads to a consideration of the ways in which religions and secular spiritualities can contribute to a new ecological consciousness, and to the adoption of less destructive and rapacious ways of life. -- Back cover To varying degrees, classic religions are associated with critique of materialistic values. Onto this opposition of the market and the temple other binaries have been grafted, so that'North'and the'West'are portrayed as secular and materialistic,'South'and'East'either as'tigers'pursuing western-style affluence and economic growth or locked into retrospective fundamentalisms. These characterisations are called into question in a context of diversity and global movements of peoples and goods. In this collection this complexity is addressed in an analysis of the interconnections between religious and consumption practices and cultures, and the ways in which both are responding to the ecological threat posed by continuous economic growth. International in scope, the book combines empirical and theoretical work in its attempt to interrogate the traditional opposition of spiritual and materialistic values, and to explore the interplay of religious and consuming passions in contemporary cultures. This analysis leads to a consideration of the ways in which religions and secular spiritualities can contribute to a new ecological consciousness, and to the adoption of less destructive and rapacious ways of life. Machine generated contents note: Introduction L. Thomas Part I: Critical perspectives on Religion, Consumerism and Sustainability Consumerism as Theodicy: an exploration of secular and religious meaning functions in modern society;  T. Jackson & M. Pepper Not Exactly a Selling Point: Religion and Reality TV;  N. Buxton Living in a Material World: Religious Commodification and Resistance A. Mukadam & S. Mawani Life in one Dimension;  Right Reverend G. Cray Sustaining Spiritualities in Consumer Cultures;  L. Thomas Part II: Global dimensions, everyday practices Faith in Ethical Consumption;  P. Cloke, C. Barnett, N. Clarke &A. Malpass Islam in the globalized world: consumerism and environmental ethics in Iran H. Godazgar Consumerism in Slovak Catholic homes Z. Burikova Everyday religious practices and material culture in contemporary Japan I. Daniels Whats Not Spent is Lost: Consumption Practices of Pakistani Muslims in Britain;  K. Harris From the Parliament to the Market: Political Consumerism and the fight for Sabbath G. Ben-Porat & O. Shamir Endnote L. Thomas. Introduction /Lyn Thomas --Part I:Sustaining life: theories and representations of religion and consumerism:1. Consumerism as theodicy: religiious and secular meaning functions in modern society /Tim Jackson and Miriam Pepper;2. Not exactly a selling point?: religion and reality TV /Nicholas Buxton;3. Living in a material world: religious commodification and resistance /Sharmina Mawani and Anjoom Mukadam;4. Sustaining spiritualities in consumer cultures /Lyn Thomas --Part II: Everyday practices of religion and consumption and their environmental dimensions: Paradise lost?:5. Faith in ethical consumption /Paul Cloke, Clive Barnett, Nick Clarke and Alice Malpass;6. Islam in the globalized world: consumerism and environmental ethics in Iran /Hossein Godazgar;7. Consumerism in Slovak Catholic homes /Zuzana Búriková;8.'Whats not spent is lost': consumption practices of Pakistani Muslims in Britain /Kaveri Harris --9. From the parliament to the market: political consumerism and the fight for Sabbath /Omri Shamir and Guy Ben-Porat