tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9926207.post8608939164530940345..comments2024-03-04T00:50:02.182-08:00Comments on KeithGiles.com: CONSUMPTION, EXPRESSION, IDENTITYKeith Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00328300571647154699noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9926207.post-13373130186260710742013-11-26T21:28:49.065-08:002013-11-26T21:28:49.065-08:00Ibrahim, is this the Australian punk band called &...Ibrahim, is this the Australian punk band called 'God so loved the world' and the track condemning the US gov. for genocide in New Orleans? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW_GsVQQ15s<br /><br />Back to Keith's article, is it a case of consumerism replacing Jesus teaching, or a case of Christians not consuming enough of Jesus? Looking at all the church building locked up for most of the week, I'd say we don't consume enough of Jesus (arguments about whether we need buildings to consume Jesus being an entirely different issue).NoahMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00533871829440130142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9926207.post-83418479818931284202007-10-19T23:38:00.000-07:002007-10-19T23:38:00.000-07:00Oh, yeah, and I meant to say on the other commente...Oh, yeah, and I meant to say on the other commenter's question "What are some practical ways we can begin to engage our christian culture with this issue?"<BR/><BR/>I think one example is to look back to embodiments of subculture's that aren't conformist liberal capitalist tools. <BR/><BR/>There's a sadly defunct Australian punk band called 'God so loved the world' - check out their myspace - in my opinion, they had one of the 3 best punk band names ever (up there with the sex pistols and dead kennedys) for the sheer outrageous gall of it.<BR/><BR/>A radical, anti-capitalist Christian punk band who released an album whose opening track was condemning the US gov. for genocide in New Orleans... before moving on to attacking mainstream capitalist expressions of relationships music, etc.<BR/><BR/>One of the GSLTW guys said Christianity means middle America as much as punk means Simple Plan...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9926207.post-86793374508581071652007-10-19T23:30:00.000-07:002007-10-19T23:30:00.000-07:00Great article. It's interesting the way the Christ...Great article. It's interesting the way the Christian (typically evangelical) 'subculture' has re-emerged at a time when subcultures are generally no longer considered dangerous or radical.<BR/><BR/>The notion of a subculture developed in the Chicago School of sociology - "subculture" equaled juvenile delinquent. Then in the 70s the Birmingham School in the UK started focusing on English subcultues like punks and skinheads - communal expressions of identity from pissed off working class kids as well as middle class drop outs like the Hippies - you could add the Jesus Freaks or the Jesus People to this as well.<BR/><BR/>Since the early 90s, though, wok on "subcultures" has come to focus on things like rave cultures or X-Files fans - cultures that don't ask for any radical commitment or challenge society in any way. Ravers all all back in the office Monday morning, planning next weekend's blackout.<BR/><BR/>In this context, Christian subcultures embodied by t-shirts and WWJD jewelery makes perfect sense: it reduces belief to an act of consumption. Compare 70s punk or 80s hardcore to the rubbish that gets sold to us as 'punk' these days. <BR/><BR/>As you say, the Christian subculture is simply the Christian expression of consumer capitalism. <BR/><BR/>The only way to destroy it, then, is to destroy the allure that consumerism has and the power of capital. The problem is that in too many contexts Christianity and capitalism are seen to go hand-in-hand.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9926207.post-29400614643303962902007-10-18T13:32:00.000-07:002007-10-18T13:32:00.000-07:00Awesome...Radical...Challenging! I believe the mo...Awesome...Radical...Challenging! I believe the more we address this issue in our own lives the better. And the more we can address this with the younger generation the better. What are some practical ways we can begin to engage our christian culture with this issue? <BR/><BR/>oh, and I believe God is leading me to start a Christian T-Shirt Co. called Hell F@#$ers...who is with me ; )!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com