Theology in the Capitalocene: Ecology, Identity, Class, and Solidarity

by Joerg Rieger Vanderbilt University

In times of rising pressures and catastrophes, people yearn for alternatives. So does the planet. Protests are often a start, but rebellion is not revolution, nor does it always lead to transformation.

In this incisive and compelling new book, Joerg Rieger takes a new look at the things that cause unease and discomfort in our time, leading to the growing destruction and death of people and the planet. Only when these causes are understood, he argues, can real alternatives be developed.

And yet, understanding is only a start. Solidarity, and the willingness to work at the seemingly impossible intersections of everything--the triad of gender, race, and class, yes, but more beyond--must mark the work of theology.

Without solidarities that match the complexities of our world, the best we can hope for is inclusion in the dominant system but hardly the systemic change and liberation we so desperately need.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Politics, Religion, Christianity

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2022

Reviews

[Andrew Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Theology in the Capitalocene by Joerg Rieger is a physically small, but intellectually dense, book that highlights the complex relationships between ecology, identity, class, and solidarity through a theological lens in a world defined by and controlled by capitalism.

What I perceive as the main argument in Theology in the Capitalocene is that the topics of class, labor, economics, ecology, gender, and race are woefully under-discussed by theologians. Rieger seems to have written this book to academics and theologians with the intent to wake them up to this fact. Rieger lines the pages with references and arguments for why these subjects are important, how they impact the world we live in, and why theologians should care. Some time is also spent on providing alternatives to capitalism or theological views that are entrenched in capitalist tendencies.

Unfortunately for me, Rieger does not spend enough time on the potential alternatives. While he convincingly argues that there is not enough studying and writing being done, he admits that there are still a few theologians working in these areas. I went into this book hoping for much more content and explanation of these alternative theologies. I am personally already convinced that ecology, identity, class, and solidarity are important from a theological perspective in a capitalist world. But what I don’t know is what other options exist. What have academics and theologians written about these subjects?

It didn’t take much work from Rieger to convince me that the world is doomed if nothing changes, but I was left wanting when it came to what I could do about it. Next steps: who should I read, what should I do, and what are the theological responses to these catastrophes? Admittedly, there is a long bibliography that I can sieve through to find some places to start, but I was hoping for a more straightforward guide.

Theology in the Capitalocene is an academically dense, and academically-minded work. The intention seems to be to convince current theology scholars that they should care about ecology, identity, class, and solidarity. If that’s you - perfect. Since I am not an academic and did not need convincing, I did not find the book as helpful as I had hoped. However, I can see its need and place within the ongoing conversations around these topics, and this is an excellent scholarly treatise on the relationship between theology and capitalism if that is what you are seeking.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher through the Speakeasy blogging review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Darryl Finkton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful analysis on our economic system and why it’s been so immune to change

As mentioned in the intro, dive right into Chapter 4 if you already know that capitalism is destroying the planet. And you’re aware of how the isms (racism, sexisms, classism, etc) separate us the enable economic extraction. I enjoyed reading these analyses closely as the devil is in the details. Absolutely worth a slow read of Chapter 4 (at least) in order to grasp why so many of our systems change approaches have failed. And to identify what a potential solution must include in order to move past a system of production based on killing the planet, and ourselves in the process

[Linden Leman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think he puts theology in conversation with Marxism (or more widely, economics); there is almost no theology in the book. It appears that he just recapitulates existing economic ideas for an academic Christian audience. And you know, that's how the book ended up on my class syllabi, and I'm not that mad about it, because none of the other theologians we read had a robust take on economics.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was way more academic than my usual reads. I bought it when I was in an on-line liberation theology class with Joerg Rieger and Tripp Fuller. I found the book fascinating and generally agree with Professor Rieger's perspective.

[K Steward · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was worth reading. I think a lot of it was over my head.