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Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture
Meritocracy and the gospel are fundamentally incompatible. Unfortunately, meritocratic ideas are currently being mingled with scripture, infiltrating language, colonizing moral self- and social- understanding, and radically deforming Christianity. Meritocracy has an attractive explanatory power and a great hold on the contemporary moral imagination in many places. For many, meritocratic ideals shape their sense of justice, moral order and self-worth.
But meritocracy results in a critical denial of grace, the justification of inequality, and tends toward an unhealthy atomism. Wealthy members of congregations that live in large houses with much more than they need, sit through Sunday school in the same room as poor families that struggle to make ends meet. Rampant inequality is omnipresent in modern society. Large, gated communities sit next to shanty towns, ghettos, and apartments. Our cities are divided into palpably different neighborhoods, schools suffer from inequal funding, unpaid, exploited workers are everywhere. Blinded by meritocracy, many contemporary Christians think this is the way it should be.
We must recover the logic of grace, the demands of social justice and ideals of Christian communism. We must resist the temptation to slip back into unpolitical living and the illusion that we can live the gospel without politics. We must feel deeply that we “rob the poor because of [our] fine sanctuaries; [we] rob the poor because of [our] fine clothing” (2 Nephi 28:13). We must feel the oppressive injustice and inhumanity of our exploitative, atomistic world devoted to the accumulation of capital.
**This book is an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of the ways that the ideal of meritocracy (aka The American Dream) has infiltrated popular, political, and even religious thought and in the process has itself become something akin to its own religion. Dr. Pack does an impeccable job of weaving together philosophy, history, anthropology, sociology, and scripture in sophisticated and inspiring ways to show how deeply troubling neoliberal economic and political policies are for the planet and our moral values. It would be delightful to see this book reach a wide readership and provoke thoughtful discussion and analysis, even creative exploration, of how we can create a more just and equitable world.
—Angela M. Montague, PhD
Justin Pack’s book presents meritocracy as a sort of neo-Pelagian heresy that has infected much of American Christendom across the political spectrum. Rather than understanding the human person as a social being dependent on the community and God’s grace, we tend to see the illusion of self-made individuals who are rewarded or punished based on their own private efforts. While Pack draws from LDS scripture, his argument remains thoroughly grounded in the Old and New Testaments and the early Church Fathers and could just as easily have drawn from Roman Catholic social teaching. Indeed, American Catholics should be wrestling with the phenomenon Pack describes, as we try to reconcile the American dream with the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable and the universal destination of goods.
Pack’s book stands and the intersection of sociology, theology, and philosophy, but is written in a manner that should make it a wonderful addition to any undergraduate or graduate level moral theology course. I am already drawing from it in my high school Catholic Social Teaching classes.
—Jeremy Flaherty, PhD
All is not well in Zion, nor can it be as long as the Saints fail to wrest their theology from the all-pervasive logic of do-it-yourself “meritocracy.
But meritocracy results in a critical denial of grace, the justification of inequality, and tends toward an unhealthy atomism. Wealthy members of congregations that live in large houses with much more than they need, sit through Sunday school in the same room as poor families that struggle to make ends meet. Rampant inequality is omnipresent in modern society. Large, gated communities sit next to shanty towns, ghettos, and apartments. Our cities are divided into palpably different neighborhoods, schools suffer from inequal funding, unpaid, exploited workers are everywhere. Blinded by meritocracy, many contemporary Christians think this is the way it should be.
We must recover the logic of grace, the demands of social justice and ideals of Christian communism. We must resist the temptation to slip back into unpolitical living and the illusion that we can live the gospel without politics. We must feel deeply that we “rob the poor because of [our] fine sanctuaries; [we] rob the poor because of [our] fine clothing” (2 Nephi 28:13). We must feel the oppressive injustice and inhumanity of our exploitative, atomistic world devoted to the accumulation of capital.
**This book is an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of the ways that the ideal of meritocracy (aka The American Dream) has infiltrated popular, political, and even religious thought and in the process has itself become something akin to its own religion. Dr. Pack does an impeccable job of weaving together philosophy, history, anthropology, sociology, and scripture in sophisticated and inspiring ways to show how deeply troubling neoliberal economic and political policies are for the planet and our moral values. It would be delightful to see this book reach a wide readership and provoke thoughtful discussion and analysis, even creative exploration, of how we can create a more just and equitable world.
—Angela M. Montague, PhD
Justin Pack’s book presents meritocracy as a sort of neo-Pelagian heresy that has infected much of American Christendom across the political spectrum. Rather than understanding the human person as a social being dependent on the community and God’s grace, we tend to see the illusion of self-made individuals who are rewarded or punished based on their own private efforts. While Pack draws from LDS scripture, his argument remains thoroughly grounded in the Old and New Testaments and the early Church Fathers and could just as easily have drawn from Roman Catholic social teaching. Indeed, American Catholics should be wrestling with the phenomenon Pack describes, as we try to reconcile the American dream with the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable and the universal destination of goods.
Pack’s book stands and the intersection of sociology, theology, and philosophy, but is written in a manner that should make it a wonderful addition to any undergraduate or graduate level moral theology course. I am already drawing from it in my high school Catholic Social Teaching classes.
—Jeremy Flaherty, PhD
All is not well in Zion, nor can it be as long as the Saints fail to wrest their theology from the all-pervasive logic of do-it-yourself “meritocracy.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2024
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August 4, 2024
I must first give a nod of thanks to my Goodreads friend Ryan Ward who turned me on to this book. It is literally a godsend to me. I’ve struggled for the past 35 plus years (since the end of the Reagan and the beginning of the Bush I presidencies here in the United States) with the principles so aptly presented in this book. So thank you Ryan!
This book review is written from a Latter-day Saint (LDS) perspective about a book written by a fellow Latter-day Saint who has struggled in his life coming to grip with what I used to call the “Prosperity Gospel” that has slowly permeated the teachings of the Church that I’ve called my faith since 1976. I now have a new term to use for this observation: Meritocracy.
Prosperity Gospel is the observation that I see in so many today who profess to be religious, especially Christian. The idea that God blesses those on an ever greater scale materially, occupationally and educationally wise, etc. as the person puts Him first, be it in ever increasing tithes, devotion, etc.
But this is not what I’ve observed through my life to this point. I’ve lived in South America, Mexico and in many US inner cities, rural areas and along the US/Mexican border. My wife and I have purposely lived in the poorer congregations of our church, knowing these areas needed the greatest help and by doing so we reasoned it would draw us closer to the God we wished to serve with our time and talents. I observed the many who devoted the all they had to God in the Church but were never blessed with much material wealth. I’ve served with brethren and sisters with little education but who via their undying/blind faith gave me cause of feeling great spiritual inadequacy, to the point of fearing for my eternal soul because their spiritual progress was so much greater than mine! When one has a background of serving with saints such as this, one sees the permeation of the principle of the Prosperity Gospel and it’s accompanying sense of a false sense of spiritual security as a grotesque interpretation of what the real Gospel is supposed to represent.
In the LDS temple endowment ceremony there is a point where the person who is representing Lucifer, after observing the audience has covenanted to consecrate all their time, talents and increases to the building up the Kingdom of God, addresses them in turn and reminds them that in this world, they can acquire anything they want if they simply have enough money. This is always a chilling moment for me.
And as I’ve repeatedly meditated about the endowment, this moment is one of those teachings that sticks out for me. Immediately after making covenants to consecrate, I’m given the juxtaposition of what can only be defined as the permeation of Prosperity Gospel teachings and adherence throughout much of religion, especially Christianity today.
The book’s title is telling: Meritocracy Mingled With Scripture. It is a takeoff of the temple endowment, where Lucifer talks about his inclination to mix scripture with misdirecting philosophy that he knows men and women will be prone to believe in, especially in moments of ignorance and lack of Gospel education. And that these “teachings” ultimately lead one away from the belief and path that God knows we need to follow to best fulfill our individual purposes here on Earth. What I call local Church ward/stake/regional myths and wives tale teachings that have no basis in Gospel doctrine. An apt description of how many people are misled today by the infiltration of Meritocracy into the Gospel.
Through the book, three principles are introduced in succession: grace, demands of social justice and Christian Communism, all being integral to a complete religious life that is a blessing to one’s fellow man.
Addendum: I forgot to mention this point: that Meritocracy/The Prosperity Gospel mindset (“I earned mine on my own…with no allotment for Grace from God”) does not Help Build Zion, an admonition many Latter-day Saints take seriously. A state of Zion (where all inhabitants have all things common among them; therefore there are no rich and poor, bond and free (even no debt), etc., etc. is a covenant we make.
This book review is written from a Latter-day Saint (LDS) perspective about a book written by a fellow Latter-day Saint who has struggled in his life coming to grip with what I used to call the “Prosperity Gospel” that has slowly permeated the teachings of the Church that I’ve called my faith since 1976. I now have a new term to use for this observation: Meritocracy.
Prosperity Gospel is the observation that I see in so many today who profess to be religious, especially Christian. The idea that God blesses those on an ever greater scale materially, occupationally and educationally wise, etc. as the person puts Him first, be it in ever increasing tithes, devotion, etc.
But this is not what I’ve observed through my life to this point. I’ve lived in South America, Mexico and in many US inner cities, rural areas and along the US/Mexican border. My wife and I have purposely lived in the poorer congregations of our church, knowing these areas needed the greatest help and by doing so we reasoned it would draw us closer to the God we wished to serve with our time and talents. I observed the many who devoted the all they had to God in the Church but were never blessed with much material wealth. I’ve served with brethren and sisters with little education but who via their undying/blind faith gave me cause of feeling great spiritual inadequacy, to the point of fearing for my eternal soul because their spiritual progress was so much greater than mine! When one has a background of serving with saints such as this, one sees the permeation of the principle of the Prosperity Gospel and it’s accompanying sense of a false sense of spiritual security as a grotesque interpretation of what the real Gospel is supposed to represent.
In the LDS temple endowment ceremony there is a point where the person who is representing Lucifer, after observing the audience has covenanted to consecrate all their time, talents and increases to the building up the Kingdom of God, addresses them in turn and reminds them that in this world, they can acquire anything they want if they simply have enough money. This is always a chilling moment for me.
And as I’ve repeatedly meditated about the endowment, this moment is one of those teachings that sticks out for me. Immediately after making covenants to consecrate, I’m given the juxtaposition of what can only be defined as the permeation of Prosperity Gospel teachings and adherence throughout much of religion, especially Christianity today.
The book’s title is telling: Meritocracy Mingled With Scripture. It is a takeoff of the temple endowment, where Lucifer talks about his inclination to mix scripture with misdirecting philosophy that he knows men and women will be prone to believe in, especially in moments of ignorance and lack of Gospel education. And that these “teachings” ultimately lead one away from the belief and path that God knows we need to follow to best fulfill our individual purposes here on Earth. What I call local Church ward/stake/regional myths and wives tale teachings that have no basis in Gospel doctrine. An apt description of how many people are misled today by the infiltration of Meritocracy into the Gospel.
Through the book, three principles are introduced in succession: grace, demands of social justice and Christian Communism, all being integral to a complete religious life that is a blessing to one’s fellow man.
Addendum: I forgot to mention this point: that Meritocracy/The Prosperity Gospel mindset (“I earned mine on my own…with no allotment for Grace from God”) does not Help Build Zion, an admonition many Latter-day Saints take seriously. A state of Zion (where all inhabitants have all things common among them; therefore there are no rich and poor, bond and free (even no debt), etc., etc. is a covenant we make.
March 10, 2024
This review was written for the Association for Mormon Letters.
https://tinyurl.com/Packreview
Aotearoa New Zealand, where I live, recently had an election. The Prime Minister, a former Air New Zealand CEO, has recently come under fire for claiming a $52,000 annual payment (on top of his $471,000 salary) to cover the costs of staying in Wellington, the country’s capital city. The payment was instituted as a way of defraying the cost for politicians who do not normally reside in Wellington, but have to be there frequently on official government business. The Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, however, already owns his apartment in Wellington mortgage free (one of seven properties), and many people indicated their disapproval that he would claim this benefit when his government is slashing public funding, including welfare services, and seriously considering eliminating a free school lunch program nationwide. Luxon’s initial response to the outcry over him accepting the payment (he was the first Prime Minister in over 30 years to do so but eventually relented) was, “I’m entitled to it”. The flipside of this question, then, is, whether those who are about to lose their school lunches (many of whom are food insecure) are any less “entitled” to them.
In Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture, author Justin Pack attempts to answer this question and others like it. For Pack, the question is not whether those who have wealth are entitled to it, or whether those who are poor deserve their lot in life, but whether it makes sense to even frame the question in this way. In true philosopher fashion, Pack attempts to redefine the terms of the debate. His writing is so accessible and his tone so conversational that it may be lost on some readers just how radical of a project Pack attempts here. This is a wonderfully subversive book that questions the very foundations of Western society as we know and accept it, including our understanding and interpretation of the Bible and other scripture. It argues convincingly that Western Christianity, including the LDS tradition, has fundamentally misunderstood the gospel of Jesus Christ. The catastrophic consequences of this misunderstanding are evident in the dire circumstances of the poor and exploited throughout the world.
Not that Pack minces words. His preface states that the book is “for all those that are concerned about the immoral results of neoliberal political policy around the world”
“We are in the midst of an environmental crisis that threatens not only humans, but our planet and all the other non-human peoples we share it with. Modern consumer capitalism is deeply inhumane, and the cities and communities we have constructed are moral failures based on massive exploitation and alienation. And yet, many think this is the peak of human progress” (vii).
The book begins with this broadside against modern political and economic systems. One might expect Pack to then go on to enumerate the litany of ways that neoliberal (he thankfully uses the term repeatedly throughout the book) policy has ruined society and our world, but he has a more transgressive agenda than merely engaging in a polemic against capitalism.
His Introduction begins with a discussion of the current polarized political environment in the US, how many members of the LDS church wish that “things weren’t so political” (1), because politics is keeping people from living the simple gospel. The problem seems to be that nowadays, Republicans and Democrats are always at one another’s throats. For many members, the issue is lack of tolerance of different opinions, not the content or harmful consequences of different political positions or ideologies.
For Pack, on the other hand, not only is the goal of getting politics out of religion not desirable, it is simply not possible. He notes that “everything is political” (1) and here is the crux of his argument. It is simply not possible for us, as humans with varied social, political, and economic backgrounds, to not bring something of the political to bear on our understandings of the world, including importantly, our understanding of our own religious tradition. Thus, trying to extricate the “pure” gospel from the political is not possible, and Pack’s goal is to demonstrate how one particular political ideology has colored the entire Western worldview in a way that not only obscures, but is antithetical to the message of the gospel.
The underlying political ideology responsible for this distortion is meritocracy. Pack defines this as
“a unifying vision of how the world ought to be and, for many, how it is. It is the idea that hard work should (and does) lead to success. It is the idea that a society should be shaped by merit (who performs best) and not by birthright or cronyism. It is the claim that there are always opportunities for those who are willing to grab them and work for them”. (6)
For many of us, this view of society seems obvious. It is, in many ways, the water we swim in in this world and helps us to make some sense of the good and bad we see all around us. Returning to the opening example, surely ascending to the upper ranks of corporate and government power is proof of individual merit. Likewise, being reliant on government handouts is evidence that you’re just not working hard enough. Indeed, some are arguing for the justice of cutting school lunch because it provides the (obviously lazy) parents of school children incentive to work harder.
Yet Pack shows, in dialogue with scripture, philosophers, theologians, anthropologists, and sociologists, that meritocracy is not reality, that there is no way to guarantee equitable outcomes based on merit, that merit and the worship of work itself is a flawed concept, that the enshrinement of individualism during the Enlightenment over against Christian morality directly led to meritocratic thinking, and that meritocracy fundamentally corrupts relationships and undermines the notion of grace. All of this, he claims, makes meritocracy fundamentally incompatible with Christianity, and in particular that
“meritocracy and the gospel cannot coexist. Their fundamental differences mean that not only can we not hold both in our hearts, but also that meritocracy will inevitably crowd out and warp the gospel into something unrecognizable. As such, meritocracy must be rejected, and we must recover the ideals of grace and care” (8).
Remarkably, he does all of this in a complete and accessible manner in a brief four chapters and 118 pages.
It must be emphasized again just how significant Pack’s arguments are here. There have been many in the past who have argued for the injustice of capitalist political and economic systems that depend on exploitation of the poor and marginalized. There have been many who have noted the explicit focus of the prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures on justice and equity. There have been many arguments against consumerism, most notably in an LDS context from Hugh Nibley. There has been plenty of discussion of the Law of Consecration and the economic communism (Pack calls it Christian communism) practiced by the Nephites in the Book of Mormon and the early Christians in the book of Acts. He touches on all of these issues.
But Pack is going one step further here. He is not arguing, as many so-called liberals do nowadays, for a leveling of the playing field, an equitable distribution of opportunity to demonstrate and be rewarded for our individual merit. He’s throwing out the playing field altogether. His argument is not that the rich haven’t earned their wealth, it is that the wealth of the rich depends on the exploitation of the poor and that “Evil exists because of inequality” (36).
For those who are well-versed in some of these areas, the discussions of sociological, anthropological, theological, and philosophical arguments for and against meritocracy will be familiar. For those who aren’t, these chapters provide a cohesive whirlwind tour of these ideas. The footnotes and references will give those interested more than enough sources to go to in order to learn and explore more.
For an LDS audience, Pack’s unique contributions to scriptural and doctrinal interpretation will be most impactful. Particularly insightful in this regard is his discussion of Korihor the anti-Christ. Pack’s reading is that Korihor’s primary concern
“is that the Christian demands to care for each other function in opposition to what he takes to be a fundamental truth: “every man fare[s] in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prosper[s] according to his genius, and that every man conquer[s] according to his strength” (Alma 30:17)” (59-60).
Thus, Korihor’s main gripe with Christ is that He and God are wielded as a threat by the religious authorities to compel the people to live in Christian communism in fear of judgment in the next life as opposed to being able to enjoy their possessions and property by themselves. Pack quite accurately notes that all discussions of Korihor in the Church typically place his sin in denying Christ, while they fail to realize that his main concern is his “libertarian claims” (60). In other words, Christ is just an obstacle to property and individual freedom, not Korihor’s focus.
Another of Pack’s insights is his critique of what he calls “the moral ideal of self-reliance” (84). He notes that despite being entrenched in LDS gospel culture, the concept is not mentioned in the Bible or Book of Mormon and is fundamentally tied to modern meritocratic ideals. In the ancient world, independence was a liability and being reliant on others served as protection and security. The usage of the term self-reliance in General Conference peaks in the 1980s, the decade in which neoliberal social and economic movements became entrenched in the Western world.
This section is the closest Pack comes to an explicit critique of the Church’s position and teaching, quoting the Gospel Principles manual’s assertion that “work is an eternal principle” and Marion G. Romney’s statement, quoted later by Thomas S. Monson: “Let us be self-reliant and independent. Salvation can be obtained on no other principle” (88). Pack’s criticism is tempered, however, by a genuine confusion as to how this statement and position even makes sense in light of his previous discussion. It is a credit to his deft approach and careful handling of his material that the reader can’t help but share in his confusion.
Overall, Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture provides a sorely-needed and incredibly thoughtful and insightful treatment of a topic that cuts to the heart of contemporary Christian discipleship, in broader Christian communities and with particular relevance to the LDS community, who have a uniquely strong attachment to a meritocratic worldview. The book is full of insight and rewards careful and repeat reading. I hope it finds a wide audience and that we can begin to grapple with the insidious effects of this harmful and pervasive ideology on our own faith tradition. Pack’s careful and persuasively argued treatment provides an excellent starting point.
https://tinyurl.com/Packreview
Aotearoa New Zealand, where I live, recently had an election. The Prime Minister, a former Air New Zealand CEO, has recently come under fire for claiming a $52,000 annual payment (on top of his $471,000 salary) to cover the costs of staying in Wellington, the country’s capital city. The payment was instituted as a way of defraying the cost for politicians who do not normally reside in Wellington, but have to be there frequently on official government business. The Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, however, already owns his apartment in Wellington mortgage free (one of seven properties), and many people indicated their disapproval that he would claim this benefit when his government is slashing public funding, including welfare services, and seriously considering eliminating a free school lunch program nationwide. Luxon’s initial response to the outcry over him accepting the payment (he was the first Prime Minister in over 30 years to do so but eventually relented) was, “I’m entitled to it”. The flipside of this question, then, is, whether those who are about to lose their school lunches (many of whom are food insecure) are any less “entitled” to them.
In Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture, author Justin Pack attempts to answer this question and others like it. For Pack, the question is not whether those who have wealth are entitled to it, or whether those who are poor deserve their lot in life, but whether it makes sense to even frame the question in this way. In true philosopher fashion, Pack attempts to redefine the terms of the debate. His writing is so accessible and his tone so conversational that it may be lost on some readers just how radical of a project Pack attempts here. This is a wonderfully subversive book that questions the very foundations of Western society as we know and accept it, including our understanding and interpretation of the Bible and other scripture. It argues convincingly that Western Christianity, including the LDS tradition, has fundamentally misunderstood the gospel of Jesus Christ. The catastrophic consequences of this misunderstanding are evident in the dire circumstances of the poor and exploited throughout the world.
Not that Pack minces words. His preface states that the book is “for all those that are concerned about the immoral results of neoliberal political policy around the world”
“We are in the midst of an environmental crisis that threatens not only humans, but our planet and all the other non-human peoples we share it with. Modern consumer capitalism is deeply inhumane, and the cities and communities we have constructed are moral failures based on massive exploitation and alienation. And yet, many think this is the peak of human progress” (vii).
The book begins with this broadside against modern political and economic systems. One might expect Pack to then go on to enumerate the litany of ways that neoliberal (he thankfully uses the term repeatedly throughout the book) policy has ruined society and our world, but he has a more transgressive agenda than merely engaging in a polemic against capitalism.
His Introduction begins with a discussion of the current polarized political environment in the US, how many members of the LDS church wish that “things weren’t so political” (1), because politics is keeping people from living the simple gospel. The problem seems to be that nowadays, Republicans and Democrats are always at one another’s throats. For many members, the issue is lack of tolerance of different opinions, not the content or harmful consequences of different political positions or ideologies.
For Pack, on the other hand, not only is the goal of getting politics out of religion not desirable, it is simply not possible. He notes that “everything is political” (1) and here is the crux of his argument. It is simply not possible for us, as humans with varied social, political, and economic backgrounds, to not bring something of the political to bear on our understandings of the world, including importantly, our understanding of our own religious tradition. Thus, trying to extricate the “pure” gospel from the political is not possible, and Pack’s goal is to demonstrate how one particular political ideology has colored the entire Western worldview in a way that not only obscures, but is antithetical to the message of the gospel.
The underlying political ideology responsible for this distortion is meritocracy. Pack defines this as
“a unifying vision of how the world ought to be and, for many, how it is. It is the idea that hard work should (and does) lead to success. It is the idea that a society should be shaped by merit (who performs best) and not by birthright or cronyism. It is the claim that there are always opportunities for those who are willing to grab them and work for them”. (6)
For many of us, this view of society seems obvious. It is, in many ways, the water we swim in in this world and helps us to make some sense of the good and bad we see all around us. Returning to the opening example, surely ascending to the upper ranks of corporate and government power is proof of individual merit. Likewise, being reliant on government handouts is evidence that you’re just not working hard enough. Indeed, some are arguing for the justice of cutting school lunch because it provides the (obviously lazy) parents of school children incentive to work harder.
Yet Pack shows, in dialogue with scripture, philosophers, theologians, anthropologists, and sociologists, that meritocracy is not reality, that there is no way to guarantee equitable outcomes based on merit, that merit and the worship of work itself is a flawed concept, that the enshrinement of individualism during the Enlightenment over against Christian morality directly led to meritocratic thinking, and that meritocracy fundamentally corrupts relationships and undermines the notion of grace. All of this, he claims, makes meritocracy fundamentally incompatible with Christianity, and in particular that
“meritocracy and the gospel cannot coexist. Their fundamental differences mean that not only can we not hold both in our hearts, but also that meritocracy will inevitably crowd out and warp the gospel into something unrecognizable. As such, meritocracy must be rejected, and we must recover the ideals of grace and care” (8).
Remarkably, he does all of this in a complete and accessible manner in a brief four chapters and 118 pages.
It must be emphasized again just how significant Pack’s arguments are here. There have been many in the past who have argued for the injustice of capitalist political and economic systems that depend on exploitation of the poor and marginalized. There have been many who have noted the explicit focus of the prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures on justice and equity. There have been many arguments against consumerism, most notably in an LDS context from Hugh Nibley. There has been plenty of discussion of the Law of Consecration and the economic communism (Pack calls it Christian communism) practiced by the Nephites in the Book of Mormon and the early Christians in the book of Acts. He touches on all of these issues.
But Pack is going one step further here. He is not arguing, as many so-called liberals do nowadays, for a leveling of the playing field, an equitable distribution of opportunity to demonstrate and be rewarded for our individual merit. He’s throwing out the playing field altogether. His argument is not that the rich haven’t earned their wealth, it is that the wealth of the rich depends on the exploitation of the poor and that “Evil exists because of inequality” (36).
For those who are well-versed in some of these areas, the discussions of sociological, anthropological, theological, and philosophical arguments for and against meritocracy will be familiar. For those who aren’t, these chapters provide a cohesive whirlwind tour of these ideas. The footnotes and references will give those interested more than enough sources to go to in order to learn and explore more.
For an LDS audience, Pack’s unique contributions to scriptural and doctrinal interpretation will be most impactful. Particularly insightful in this regard is his discussion of Korihor the anti-Christ. Pack’s reading is that Korihor’s primary concern
“is that the Christian demands to care for each other function in opposition to what he takes to be a fundamental truth: “every man fare[s] in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prosper[s] according to his genius, and that every man conquer[s] according to his strength” (Alma 30:17)” (59-60).
Thus, Korihor’s main gripe with Christ is that He and God are wielded as a threat by the religious authorities to compel the people to live in Christian communism in fear of judgment in the next life as opposed to being able to enjoy their possessions and property by themselves. Pack quite accurately notes that all discussions of Korihor in the Church typically place his sin in denying Christ, while they fail to realize that his main concern is his “libertarian claims” (60). In other words, Christ is just an obstacle to property and individual freedom, not Korihor’s focus.
Another of Pack’s insights is his critique of what he calls “the moral ideal of self-reliance” (84). He notes that despite being entrenched in LDS gospel culture, the concept is not mentioned in the Bible or Book of Mormon and is fundamentally tied to modern meritocratic ideals. In the ancient world, independence was a liability and being reliant on others served as protection and security. The usage of the term self-reliance in General Conference peaks in the 1980s, the decade in which neoliberal social and economic movements became entrenched in the Western world.
This section is the closest Pack comes to an explicit critique of the Church’s position and teaching, quoting the Gospel Principles manual’s assertion that “work is an eternal principle” and Marion G. Romney’s statement, quoted later by Thomas S. Monson: “Let us be self-reliant and independent. Salvation can be obtained on no other principle” (88). Pack’s criticism is tempered, however, by a genuine confusion as to how this statement and position even makes sense in light of his previous discussion. It is a credit to his deft approach and careful handling of his material that the reader can’t help but share in his confusion.
Overall, Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture provides a sorely-needed and incredibly thoughtful and insightful treatment of a topic that cuts to the heart of contemporary Christian discipleship, in broader Christian communities and with particular relevance to the LDS community, who have a uniquely strong attachment to a meritocratic worldview. The book is full of insight and rewards careful and repeat reading. I hope it finds a wide audience and that we can begin to grapple with the insidious effects of this harmful and pervasive ideology on our own faith tradition. Pack’s careful and persuasively argued treatment provides an excellent starting point.
March 2, 2025
Excellent. I need to take time to sit down and write a good review. Review forthcoming.
May 19, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture, by Justin Pack (07.26.74)
In Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture, Justin Pack offers a thought-provoking and incisive critique of the often-unquestioned entanglement between American meritocratic ideals and Christian theology. With academic precision and accessible prose, Pack navigates the ideological terrain where religious doctrines are co-opted to justify social inequality, offering a deeply ethical and theological challenge to contemporary capitalism.
Pack’s work is most compelling in how it reveals the subtle ways meritocracy has taken on a moral, even sacred, dimension in the American imagination. He traces how scriptural narratives have been reinterpreted, or misinterpreted, to support the abhorrent and false belief that success is a divine reward for individual virtue, while failure reflects personal or spiritual deficiency.
One of the most powerful insights comes when Pack writes: “When merit becomes moralized, it no longer merely determines social position; it sanctifies it.” This observation encapsulates the dangerous theology that equates material success with divine favor, allowing injustice to persist under a spiritual guise.
Pack also challenges readers to rethink commonly held beliefs: “The gospel of grace does not coexist peacefully with the gospel of merit; it actively subverts it.” Here, he draws a clear line between the radical egalitarianism of Christ’s message and the conditional love of merit-based systems.
Perhaps most poignantly, Pack writes: “If we believe God rewards the deserving, then we will always find ways to see the comfortable as righteous and the suffering as guilty.” This quote strikes at the heart of Christian complicity in socio-economic oppression, calling for a return to a more compassionate, grace-centered theology.
Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture is an essential read for theologians, ethicists, and anyone concerned with the intersection of faith and justice. Justin Pack has crafted a timely and necessary critique, one that not only diagnoses a profound spiritual distortion but also points the way toward a more faithful and humane vision of society. He exposes the theological absurdity of the prosperity gospel all too prevalent in American religious culture.
Well done, Dr. Peck!
In Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture, Justin Pack offers a thought-provoking and incisive critique of the often-unquestioned entanglement between American meritocratic ideals and Christian theology. With academic precision and accessible prose, Pack navigates the ideological terrain where religious doctrines are co-opted to justify social inequality, offering a deeply ethical and theological challenge to contemporary capitalism.
Pack’s work is most compelling in how it reveals the subtle ways meritocracy has taken on a moral, even sacred, dimension in the American imagination. He traces how scriptural narratives have been reinterpreted, or misinterpreted, to support the abhorrent and false belief that success is a divine reward for individual virtue, while failure reflects personal or spiritual deficiency.
One of the most powerful insights comes when Pack writes: “When merit becomes moralized, it no longer merely determines social position; it sanctifies it.” This observation encapsulates the dangerous theology that equates material success with divine favor, allowing injustice to persist under a spiritual guise.
Pack also challenges readers to rethink commonly held beliefs: “The gospel of grace does not coexist peacefully with the gospel of merit; it actively subverts it.” Here, he draws a clear line between the radical egalitarianism of Christ’s message and the conditional love of merit-based systems.
Perhaps most poignantly, Pack writes: “If we believe God rewards the deserving, then we will always find ways to see the comfortable as righteous and the suffering as guilty.” This quote strikes at the heart of Christian complicity in socio-economic oppression, calling for a return to a more compassionate, grace-centered theology.
Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture is an essential read for theologians, ethicists, and anyone concerned with the intersection of faith and justice. Justin Pack has crafted a timely and necessary critique, one that not only diagnoses a profound spiritual distortion but also points the way toward a more faithful and humane vision of society. He exposes the theological absurdity of the prosperity gospel all too prevalent in American religious culture.
Well done, Dr. Peck!
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