On Consumer Culture, Identity, the Church and the Rhetorics of Delight

Description

The Reading Augustine series presents short, engaging books offering personal readings of St. Augustine of Hippo's contributions to western philosophical, literary, and religious life. Mark Clavier’s On Consumer Culture, Identity, The Church and the Rhetorics of Delight draws on Augustine of Hippo to provide a theological explanation for the success of marketing and consumer culture. Augustine’s thought, rooted in rhetorical theory, presents a brilliant understanding of the experiences of damnation and salvation that takes seriously the often hidden psychology of human motivation. Clavier examines how Augustine’s keen insight into the power of delight over personal notions of freedom and self-identity can be used to shed light on how the constant lure of promised happiness shapes our identities as consumers. From Augustine’s perspective, it is only by addressing the sources of delight within consumerism and by rediscovering the wellsprings of God’s delight that we can effectively challenge consumer culture. To an age awash with commercial rhetoric, the fifth-century Bishop of Hippo offers a theological rhetoric that is surprisingly contemporary and insightful. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Acknowledgements List of Abbrevations Chapter 1: Introduction Paradise just a purchase away Perceiving reality The rhetoric of consumerism The Christian consumer Rhetorics of delight Part 1 Worldly rhetoric Chapter 2: Augustine’s rhetoric of self-destruction ‘The man of eloquence’ The rhetoric of salvation Chapter 3: The rhetoric of consumerism Consumerism – A rare intellectual defence The marketing republic ‘Inform, engage, and delight’ Part 2 Heavenly rhetoric Chapter 4: Augustine’s eloquent God Augustine’s solution True delight Love outpoured Romans 7 Chapter 5: The divided wills of Christian consumers ‘Winter is coming’ The Christian dilemma – The concept of world views The Christian dilemma – A rhetorical contest Part 3 The mission and ministry of God’s rhetoric Chapter 6: The church as a rhetorical community People, place, and time: The well-imagined Christian community The church’s rhetorical mission Chapter 7: God’s orators The new Dark Ages To instruct, delight, and persuade Christian teaching in the City of God A ministry of wisdom and delight Augustine for the present and the future References Books and Journal Articles: Reports, Book Reviews, Newspaper Columns, and Online Sources: Index