Citizenship Confusion: Breaking the Shopping Habit

Last updated on: May 21, 2012 at 10:30 am by Alan Noble

Citizenship Confusion: Breaking the Shopping Habit 2012-05-21T10:30:28-06:00 Alan Noble

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Every Monday in Citizenship Confusion, Alan Noble discusses how we confuse our heavenly citizenship with citizenship to the state, culture, and the world.

I’ve written a lot of criticism lately about how the church engages in politics and culture, and while I stand by what I wrote, I hope to broaden the way I use this space in the future by providing balance to my criticisms and by criticizing less, as I addressed last week (See: Citizenship Confusion: Why I Criticize the Church). What better way to balance my criticism of culture and the church than to offer a little self-criticism, since I seem to be so keen on the value of criticism?

In June 2010, I wrote a CaPC feature on how the practice of shopping as entertainment can have serious consequences for believers titled “When All Else Fails, Shop?” It’s the kind of post I write hoping that, by publicly warning against a practice, I’ll finally be motivated to avoid it myself. I went back and cleaned up the post and added new pictures to make it more compelling (otherwise known as “pulling a G. Lucas” or “Lucasing” an old post).

Here’s an excerpt:

When All Else Fails, Shop?

There is good reason why I and many others find shopping so entertaining Shopping centers are, after all, designed to make you feel comfortable, safe, enthralled, happy, and discontent. It is in their best interest to make you feel like shopping is fun, a form of entertainment equal to or greater than the pleasure and entertainment you will receive from the things you buy when you shop. But is shopping an edifying way for Christians to spend their time?

Just as we must be thoughtful in the way we watch TV or play video games, we also should be conscientious about other cultural activities we engage in and how they shape our identities. When we view window shopping or hanging out in the mall as a form of entertainment, this can have an affect on how we define ourselves and what we conceive of as the Good Life–the ideal life we strive after. More…

When believers fail to act out their heavenly citizenship, it is not always, or perhaps even primarily our State-citizenship which “confuses” us. I believe that quite often we are subtly lulled into a false and dangerous conception of our identity, allegiances, value, morals, and purpose by our culture and its practices. This feature attempts to address one small way in which our cultural practices might be dis-orienting us from our Heavenly Calling by redefining who we are, what we value, and what we live for.

Please read “When All Else Fails, Shop?” and let us know whether or not you “window shop” and how you think it does or does not affect you.

Asides

General Culture

Citizenship Confusion

shopping

Previous Post

May 21, 2012

How Should Christians Think About Gay Marriage?

Next Post

May 22, 2012 Play in Process: A Facebook Game about Jesus Made Me Look Like a Silly Christian

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz