Brand Jesus: Christianity in a Consumerist Age

By Tyler Wigg Stevenson

Book Overview

In this provocative book, the author argues that American Christianity, especially evangelicalism, has been corrupted by the dominance of consumerism in modern life. The church's mostly uncritical adoption of this secular condition has resulted in an idolatrous morphing of the message of Christ into just another brand. With Brand Jesus, Wigg Stevenson names the growing concern felt by many Christians at the commodification of their faith.

Using Paul's letter to the Romans as a starting point, Wigg Stevenson 'reads' the letter to today's church, speaking to our consumerist situation through the parallels with Paul's Rome. Though rooted unapologetically in a love for the church, Brand Jesus does not shy away from provocative claims about the melding of Christian faith and consumer ideals; the rise of market-driven theology; the blurring boundaries between the law and religion; and other topics. Wigg Stevenson describes the current situation of both church and society and issues a challenge to it: When faith is a product for consumption, how can the church be faithful to Christ as living Lord, instead of as Brand Jesus?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1596270497
• ISBN13: 9781596270497
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Seabury Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.9" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Breaking New Ground

In this groundbreaking work, Tyler Wigg Stevenson examines America's culture of consumerism, identifying the patterns by which Americans establish meaning for their lives through their purchasing habits. Having accomplished this significant task of cultural muckraking, Wigg Stevenson successfully shows that American evangelicals have shaped their message to fit into this culture of consumption, making Jesus a commodity and rendering true discipleship next to impossible. The book's chief strength is its thoroughgoing Biblicism. Structured by Romans chapters 1, 2 and 12, the book manages to offer a message drawn from the scriptures without being hijacked by either the right or the left. Because the offering of a "quick fix" solution to the church's problems would be nothing but pandering to the same sense of consumerism that he laments, Wigg Stevenson does not conclude the book with a "12 step" plan that can restore the evangelical church to its apostolic state. He does, however, cast a vision of a church that, while having to compete in the early 21st century marketplace of meaning, refuses to offer Jesus as a commodity. Instead, the vision cast in this book is one in which confused seekers come to the church seeking a commodity, but are offered not a product but an invitation to Christian discipleship. Anyone looking to better understand the relationship between evangelicalism and American consumer culture should carefully read and digest this book. Its message could not be more timely.