The economy is not working for working people. Too often, religious responses to economic problems leave the status quo unchecked. This series offers a foundational critique of capitalism, explores alternative models of labor solidarity, and considers how religion can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
Discussion Questions:
Want to use this video in your church or class as a discussion tool? Unsure about how to begin? Not to worry! Try these discussion questions out as ways to get the conversation going:
What are some of the “myths” of capitalism? How have you seen them impact your community?
How do racism and capitalism support one another? Who is harmed and who benefits when this happens?
Can you imagine the end of capitalism? What might an alternative look like?
Deep down, more and more people are realizing that the capitalist economy is no longer working in their favor, if it ever has. So why do they keep supporting it? What are the alternatives, and how might religion become part of the solution rather than of the problem?
Further Resources:
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
Interviews on Racial Capitalism — Interventions Forum
No Rising Tide: Theology, Economics, and the Future by Joerg Rieger
Discussion Questions:
Want to use this video in your church or class as a discussion tool? Unsure about how to begin? Not to worry! Try these discussion questions out as ways to get the conversation going:
What are some popular understandings of class? How do they differ from an understanding of class as a relationship of labor power?
What would “good news to the poor” look like today?
Think of some examples in the Bible where class (that is, relations of labor/economic power) plays a role. How does power flow? How do the people respond? Where is God active in the story?
The sacred texts of the Abrahamic traditions are more deeply interwoven with work and economics than is often recognized. The Exodus narratives, shared by Jews, Christians, and Muslims have inspired alternative economies for thousands of years. The same is true for some of the traditions that uphold a Jesus of the working majority.
Further Resources:
Discussion Questions:
Want to use this video in your church or class as a discussion tool? Unsure about how to begin? Not to worry! Try these discussion questions out as ways to get the conversation going:Why are moral appeals (e.g., “do this,” “don’t do that,” etc.) not very effective at changing our desires? What would be more effective at shaping our desires and ethics?
When it comes to economics and labor, what do you desire? Where were those desires formed? How do they intersect with your neighbors' desires?
What did Martin Luther mean when he said, “Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God”? How do our desires shape our faith?
It has been claimed that there is no alternative to current economic arrangements, as human desire is insatiable. Some religious traditions disagree and promote other ways of dealing with desire. The transformation of desire is a momentous task that goes deeper than proclaiming moral precepts or making ethical appeals.
Discussion Questions:
Want to use this video in your church or class as a discussion tool? Unsure about how to begin? Not to worry! Try these discussion questions out as ways to get the conversation going:
Think of some faith-based charity and advocacy programs. What are the limits to these efforts? Alternatively, how might they (actually or potentially) embody deep solidarity?
How does deep solidarity respect differences? What sets deep solidarity apart from uniformity/sameness?
Where might one develop deep solidarity with others?
Efforts to help others and to speak out for them are time-honored ways in which religious communities have tried to make a difference. As these models keep running into problems, deep solidarity presents another paradigm that moves religious engagement to the next level.
Further Resources:
Deep Solidarity: Embracing God's Power to Alleviate Poverty and Create Structural Change
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
Unified We Are a Force: How Faith and Labor Can Overcome America's Inequalities by Joerg Rieger, Rosemarie Henkel-Rieger
Discussion Questions:
Want to use this video in your church or class as a discussion tool? Unsure about how to begin? Not to worry! Try these discussion questions out as ways to get the conversation going:
What do you imagine when you think of “democracy?”
Is capitalism democratic?
In what ways does democracy exist in your workplace or your faith community? How could those practices be deepened?
How do worker cooperatives differ from capitalist corporations? How would people in your community benefit from worker ownership?
In the United States, democracy often stops at work or in religious communities. How can we reclaim democratic relationships in all areas of life? Some evidence suggests that economic democracy—the form of democracy that is arguably least developed—can become a game-changer.
Further Resources:
Discussion Questions:
Want to use this video in your church or class as a discussion tool? Unsure about how to begin? Not to worry! Try these discussion questions out as ways to get the conversation going:
What is the difference between mobilizing and organizing?
What are some concrete steps your community could take to develop economic solidarity and cooperation? What roadblocks do you anticipate? What resources would you need to overcome them?
Faith communities expend lots of energy mobilizing their members for various causes. But how often do these efforts center workers’ agency? How might we organize in a way that deepens relations of solidarity within and beyond our immediate community?
Further Resources:
Check out our other trainings in religion and labor; community organizing and the church; Bible and Economics, and more!
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