The (Magic) Kingdom of God: Christianity and Global Culture Industries

by Michael Budde and Michael L. Budde

Book Overview

In The (Magic) Kingdom of God, Michael Budde offers a multidisciplinary analysis of the "global culture industries"--increasingly powerful, centralized corporate conglomerates in television, advertising, marketing, movies, and the like--and their impact on Christian churches in industrialized countries. Utilizing ideas from contemporary and classical schools of political economy, the author explains why the study of global culture industries is essential...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813330750
• ISBN13: 9780813330754
• Release Date: October 1997
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Glad I read it

Beyond the sex and violence most easily visible in the market place, Michael Budde puts a spotlight on the less perceivable and more damaging effects of capitalism's ever increasing need and ability to shape the desires, thoughts, and beliefs of the world. Full of convincing evidence and argument, Budde shows how the global culture industry, the one that tells you "between love and madness lies Obsession", not only creates desire solely to fuel consumerism at the expense of true life, but also detrimentally creates in the mind of the viewer, reader, and listener unreal expectations that life is made up of fragmented highlights. The audience becomes impatient and bewildered during the "slower" times in life that can be marked by struggle and necessary for growth. At the same time, symbols and historic events are usurped by the global culture industry to represent new, shallow, and even counter meanings which further disconnect people from the past that would normally develop and characterize them. Christianity is to be an alternative to the world and thus Budde shows how important it is for the church to be aware of the culture industry's ability to homogenize not only would-be disciples of Jesus with the rest of the world, but also the church in its practices. Budde warns of the church's likeness to commercial enterprises because the church may find itself trying to serve both God and the economic/political demands necessary to maintain their own similar culture industry; and at the same time creating and gathering massive numbers of followers incapable of the patience, dedication, hard work, and suffering necessary to be followers of Christ. This book is very good, informative and insightful of the difficulties Christians and particularly Christian leaders face with the global culture industry. Budde offers similarly insightful leads on how to live in such a world we are not called to escape. There are places in the beginning of the book, particularly chapter 2, which might require extra work and dictionary time to get through for those not familiar with political economy, like myself, but understanding what you can of it may be a tremendous help to you and those in your community trying to live and share the kingdom of God.

Christianity Contesting Culture

Michael Budde uses both professional and ecclesial acumen to exposit the contemporary cultural and Christian landscapes in The (Magic) Kingdom of God. Budde weaves three threads throughout his book. The first is descriptive. Budde describes the flourishing of "global culture industries" in a largely capitalistic world. The second thread is analytical. The contemporary cultural ecology is hostile to Christianity as it "presents new and imposing barriers (beyond those typical of earlier eras) to the formation of deep religious convictions" (14-15). The third thread is prescriptive. Budde prescribes practices by which the church can consistently combat the disordering influence of global culture industries. Throughout his book, Budde explores two themes: reproduction and cultural power. Reproduction is relevant to both inside and outside the church. Regarding the "political-economic order," it pertains to creating new consumers and maintaining adequate levels of consumption. Regarding "religious reproduction," churches need to train children, initiate converts, and educate adults. Regarding cultural power, Budde considers the church a cultural actor. Thus, he explores the nature of the church's power as a function of its ability to influence culture and absorb the impact of conflicting cultural influences. Within the new "worldwide political-economic transformations," propagators of capitalism depend on having a significant stake in forming culture. Major corporate players engage in the "`politics of identity'-a struggle to define or affect self- and group perceptions in ways congenial to profitability, regularity, and social control" (18). Everyone is "limited and framed" by dominant cultural powers (20). In their push to stimulate consumption, corporations pursue a strategy of "flexible accumulation" (25). This process utilizes decentralized production activities to manufacture smaller-market products. These products are consequently sold globally through ubiquitous and seductive advertising methods. Additionally, industries manufacture new appetites for consumption. Despite its grand scale, these capitalistic juggernauts are able to keep their targets largely ignorant of their methods. For Budde, the real problem is that the prevailing cultural ecology threatens "the capacity of the church to survive as a movement committed to a distinctive vision and practice rooted in Christ" (54). Budde claims that the church's survival rests in its ability to be "transmitted, passed on, received, and lived" (66). To do so, the church must call its members to "`critical readings'" of the ubiquitous media. More importantly, the church must foster a lifelong catechumenate-a partnership demanding commitment of both "communities and to persons-in-community" to reinvest their resources back into a passionate commitment to the "choices, priorities, and dispositions of Jesus"(7). Budde writes with a keen cultural fluency. His use of ne

A Solid Account of Key Issues Facing the Church

Many persons in religious settings intuit that consumerism affects the people in their congregations. Michael Budde employs his social scientific ken to illuminate how the contemporary American economy necessitates that people be formed into consumers. Budde writes as a political economist, a Roman Catholic, and most importantly, a lover of the church. The (Magic) Kingdom of God describes how "culture industries" deliberately shape the social order for the purpose of creating particular values - values that stimulate spending. After describing the political-economic landscape, Budde engages the work of George Lindbeck in order to uncover how religions function as cultures in their own right. Thus, it is no exaggeration, according to Budde, to say that a competition for the hearts and minds of the people in the pews is occurring today. The final chapters invite the reader to consider how the church can be faithful in its cultural context without withdrawing from the world. Readers who approach the text understanding that Budde is calling for faithful engagement, not sectarian retreat, will benefit most from (Magic) Kingdom. His theology touches the surface, and in that sense, it merely introduces Lindbeck's complex philosophy of religion. On the other hand, his more technical account of political economy requires a bit of work from the reader. Although Budde directs his work toward a Roman Catholic audience, all leaders in the church, mosque, or synagogue who are concerned about how culture forms the faithful will find that he provides a useful resource that will deepen one's understanding of the conflict between faith and consumer capitalism.