Abstract:
Christian theology has been referred to in criticisms of consumerism. Yet, the position of particular Christian traditions regarding economic life is quite ambivalent. On the one hand, those traditions impose their followers to live a simple lifestyle; on the other hand, they drive them to be pioneers in business and industry, producing goods including luxurious ones which promote consumerism. This inevitably leads to a cultural change, characterised by a shift from a productive-oriented ethic to a consumptive-oriented one. In the West, such a cultural change has been responded by the business world with a creative adaptation and transformation, emphasising more aspects of moral responsibility in production and service. In Indonesia, consumerism is as vast as in the West, but it is not related to a background of a productive culture. Here consumerism depends much on the supply of imported commodities and thus burdens the economy. Therefore, whilst a theological emphasis on a simple lifestyle may not be helpful in the West, it is still relevant for the Indonesian context. However a contextual economic theology does not only need to be critical of consumerism, but also should stimulate productivity. It should also be sensitive to the need of modern society to have a new image that functions as so called ‘emancipatory politics’ and ‘life politics’. The image of a morally responsible consumer interacting with morally responsible producers would be more appealing than that of an ascetic person from the pre-globalised era
Naskah Lengkap:
Jurnal Filsafat dan Teologi Orientasi Baru, 2007, 16:2
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