Loyola University Chicago
THE RELIGION OF CONSUMPTION AND CHRISTIAN NEIGHBOR LOVE
Consumerism is a word frequently used in various disciplines to express the variety of attitudes, motivations, and practices found among the middle and upper classes. It drives the global economy and influences individuals' socio-psychological perceptions. Some have gone so far as to call consumerism a religion, yet they have not substantiated this claim. This dissertation offers a framework that accounts for consumerism as a religion both as a person's ultimate concern and as a structuralized belief system. As such, it prescribes moral values that shape how people respond to the world around them, particularly with regard to notions of person, society, and the environment. Comparing these same categories to Christian neighbor love, I argue that the two ethics are in opposition to one another.
","abstract_html":"<p>Loyola University Chicago</p><p>THE RELIGION OF CONSUMPTION AND CHRISTIAN NEIGHBOR LOVE</p><p>Consumerism is a word frequently used in various disciplines to express the variety of attitudes, motivations, and practices found among the middle and upper classes. It drives the global economy and influences individuals' socio-psychological perceptions. Some have gone so far as to call consumerism a religion, yet they have not substantiated this claim. This dissertation offers a framework that accounts for consumerism as a religion both as a person's ultimate concern and as a structuralized belief system. As such, it prescribes moral values that shape how people respond to the world around them, particularly with regard to notions of person, society, and the environment. Comparing these same categories to Christian neighbor love, I argue that the two ethics are in opposition to one another.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Porter, Christopher"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Theology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:55:50Z","subjects":["Christianity","consumerism","consumption","ecology","religion","Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/731","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Porter, Christopher"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-03-31T17:14:51Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Theology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Christianity","consumerism","consumption","ecology","religion","Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/731"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Loyola University Chicago
THE RELIGION OF CONSUMPTION AND CHRISTIAN NEIGHBOR LOVE
Consumerism is a word frequently used in various disciplines to express the variety of attitudes, motivations, and practices found among the middle and upper classes. It drives the global economy and influences individuals' socio-psychological perceptions. Some have gone so far as to call consumerism a religion, yet they have not substantiated this claim. This dissertation offers a framework that accounts for consumerism as a religion both as a person's ultimate concern and as a structuralized belief system. As such, it prescribes moral values that shape how people respond to the world around them, particularly with regard to notions of person, society, and the environment. Comparing these same categories to Christian neighbor love, I argue that the two ethics are in opposition to one another.
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THE RELIGION OF CONSUMPTION AND CHRISTIAN NEIGHBOR LOVE
Consumerism is a word frequently used in various disciplines to express the variety of attitudes, motivations, and practices found among the middle and upper classes. It drives the global economy and influences individuals' socio-psychological perceptions. Some have gone so far as to call consumerism a religion, yet they have not substantiated this claim. This dissertation offers a framework that accounts for consumerism as a religion both as a person's ultimate concern and as a structuralized belief system. As such, it prescribes moral values that shape how people respond to the world around them, particularly with regard to notions of person, society, and the environment. Comparing these same categories to Christian neighbor love, I argue that the two ethics are in opposition to one another.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/731"],"dc:subject":["Christianity","consumerism","consumption","ecology","religion","Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion"],"dc:title":["The Religion of Consumption and Christian Neighbor Love"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Theology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:55:50Z"}