Rawan Galaidos MEMO 3

God and Mammon In America - Robert Wuthnow

Wuthnow starts this article by explaining the life Lindsey leads. She is a single mother managing a consulting firm. Lindsey is great at what shed does, but she feels like she is constantly fighting to stay on top and it has taken its toll on her. Her anxiety is getting pretty bad, and she feels guilty about not being there for her kids. But as a single mother, she is always worried about finances. She wants to secure more than just the minimum; she wants to live comfortably, and in order to do so, she takes on boring jobs, and continues to exhaust herself. Afraid of becoming like her father, Lindsey decides to get in touch with her spiritual side.

Wuthnow then discusses the significance of religion to work by stating three reasons: we live in a world of inequality, religion supplies our norms of daily conduct, and the last reason is that economic matter has to do with the practical technologies on which survival depends. Religious teachings also come to play as ways of understanding misfortune. He makes an interesting point by stating that under certain circumstances, religious teachings send mixed signals which contradict and compete with the secular sources around us.

To further illustrate his point, Wuthnow gives historical examples by starting with the Puritans. He suggests that it is not only Puritanism, but social conditions that we must understand to appreciate the different periods.

Industrial America provides a more recent contrast with our own circumstances. In spite of America’s many natural resources, its industrial wealth depended largely on its capacity to mobilize labor. Wuthnow explains how individual moral restraints were the key to relationships between religion and economic behavior in industrial America. He believed that America underwent industrialization never feeling fully at ease with its social, cultural, and moral consequences.

Wuthnow then discusses the meaning of materialism. Materialism has become a topic of growing concern in recent years. Analysts of the American culture suggest that we are increasingly preoccupied with how much or how little we earn. He argues that materialism is a category that carries deep meaning in American culture and that this meaning depends in large measure on the distinctions we draw between the material realm of life more generally and other parts of our lives. He believes the place to begin is to recognize the distinction between the spiritual and the material is a fundamental characteristic of Western civilization.

Money at Work - Kevin J. Delaney

Delaney begins by explaining that ever since the economy developed, everything has been reducing to an exchange value. The wide array of clergy that Delaney interviewed seem to agree with Wuthnow. He talks about Emile Durkheim argues that all religions deal with the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane. But when Delaney listen to the clergy talk about money, he sensed that money had elements from both the sacred and the profane due to its malleability and fungibility; it is particularly amenable to having elements of both the scarfed and the profane written onto it. Clergy believe that since money belongs to God, it represents more of a qualitative meaning than a quantitative one. Clergy derive this meaning from biblical texts and their practice. They believe that a person’s interpretation of what money means to them is a reflection of their relationship with God. Muslim imams spoke about the role of zakat in Islam which means “to purify.” Muslims are expected to give zakat, one of the five pillars in Islam. Giving 2.5-10% of your annual income to a form of charity is zakat. It is done to help the needy and purify the money you have.

Religious leaders describe money in ways that allows it to take on meanings that blend elements of the sacred and profane. Muslims view giving money as the best investment because the return will always be greater since God multiplies whatever you give. Moreover, Islam discourages hoarding because it is seen as denying its benefit to the community. Since the government does not fund mosques int he US like muslim countries do, it is highly encouraged to pay zakat and support your local mosque; many imams depend on zakat to generate revenue.

Clergy have a unique views from which they see the market economy. They are able to recognize that market exchanges are based on universal currency, but, most importantly, they aware that market exchange is not the only form of exchange. Therefore, they are much more conscious of the market.

Pursuing Happiness by Stanley Lebergott

Most Americans assume that they only have one life to enjoy and strive to maximize that experience. Therefore, people try to extend their life on earth in multiple ways; the most obvious tactic was medical care.

Overarching theme:

The theme this week was money in relation to religion and spirituality.