Journal entry on Clapp and Hart articles; Smith plenary
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Why is it that, today, many people naturally
jump at the opportunity to make more money by working longer
hours? Do you think, like Clapp, that this is, in fact,
an unnatural way to respond?
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In what ways, according to Clapp, has Protestant (even Calvinist)
Christianity served to enable consumerism? Do you agree with his
assessment? Is the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake one of the
sicknesses of our culture?
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What do you think the celebration of Christmas would look like
if commercialization disappeared? What about your vision is
better than the current state of this Holy day?
What is worse?
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Clapp speaks of Christians beginning the resistance.
What does such resistance entail? How, following the ideas of
opening plenary session, can one's education contribute? Must
the resistance entail a withdrawal from culture?
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In each of the 3 examples of resistance provided
by Clapp, there seems to be a significant counter-culture value
serving as guide: for Malcolm, it is maximize human benefit,
not profit; for the Calders it is cultivation of
gratitude the Bruderhof community prize children
as exemplars of Christian spirituality. Name a value
you would focus upon as part of your resistance. Is one (or
even a couple) such value enough to be content that you are
resisting?
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Is Hart saying that the only religion opposing
Christianity in modern culture is a religion of self? How
do we explain the proliferation of other religions?
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