Objectives: Through an inter-disciplinary investigation, the course seeks to understand more deeply the dominant global context of “con‧sumer culture,” possibly the most powerful shaper of human imagination, desire, identity, and relationships in our contemporary world, which has also significantly transformed the practice of religion today. It will explore how the Church can more effectively practice her evangelizing mission in such a context.

Learning outcomes: At the end of the course, the student will be able to: 1. analyze the various dimensions of the complex reality of consumer culture ; 2. propose paths of evangelization in the light of and in response to this culture.

Contents: The recent history of human consumption, the “commodi‧fication of culture” (V. Miller), the contest for attention in the “attention economy”, the “unsplendid idolatry of consumerism” (W. Cavanaugh). Consumer culture as a formative rhetorical system that molds human atten‧tion and desire, and the question of the evangelization of attention and de‧sire (W.K.A. Smith). The transformation of the practice of religion through the “commodification of religion” (V. Miller), and the question of individ‧ual agency and choice vis-à-vis the “marketplace” of religious traditions, values, and practices (M. de Certeau). Human flourishing as the underlying promise of consumer culture, and the question of what constitutes and pro‧motes authentic human flourishing according to world religions and Chris‧tian faith (L. Hartman, M. Volf).

Methodology: Lectures and class discussion.

Means of evaluation: Final paper.