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The Enchantments of Mammon: How Capitalism Became the Religion of Modernity by Eugene McCarraher
evan_streeby's review against another edition
4.0
Ooof. A great history of how capitalism came to dominate the bodies and souls of those in the western world, with some unique insights on how that relates to the religious world. 700+ pages of this became pretty brutal however, and I think an abridged edition would be more effective for the cause
davehershey's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely amazing.
Charles Taylor’s book A Secular Age is a brilliant story of how the western world moved from a premodern age of enchantment to our current secular age. Refuting the commonly told subtraction story (we learned science and got rid of religion), Taylor told a fuller and more nuanced and detailed story. In his telling, to live in a secular age is to live in an age of disenchantment: the cosmos was once enlivened with spirits and power, but now it is just a brute natural world (an immanent frame). At the same time, it is an age of authenticity in which many beliefs are possible: the religious person and the skeptic both recognize there are other options for belief or non belief.
Yeah, you should read Taylor’s book too. McCarraher begins this book by arguing that one spot Taylor was wrong in saying our culture has moved from one described as enchanted to one of disenchantment. Instead, McCarraher argues, we have become a culture enchanted by money, greed, business: capitalism (hence the title). He spends the next 600 pages demonstrating this shift, telling a story that covers the same ground as Taylor’s.
Perhaps its wrong to say McCarraher simply thinks Taylor is wrong. Taylor’s book was more covering philosophy and religion, this one is focused more on economics and religion. In other words, they cover the same historical time period but focus on different people (at least, I don’t remember many of the people McCarraher talks about appearing in Taylor’s book...but I do feel I’ve become a bit more well-read since then and maybe they are in there).
McCarraher begins with the Puritans and there are some chilling passages in there about their views on not just money, but on African and Native Americans. If you are at all familiar with the “health and wealth” gospel today, you can see its roots in how he describes the Puritans understanding of money as a blessing. From there he moves through the time period describing rise of Fordism and assembly lines and more, as well as the theories behind all this, the advertising that promoted it, and those who futilely resisted it. By the time he talks about Disney’ place in a culture enchanted by consumerism and advertising needing to tell a story to create a need, you’re both convinced and depressed.
I suppose I should say, I was essentially convinced going in. As a Christian, I remember Jesus’ words, “you cannot serve both God and money.” Young Christians, as I was once, are warned to beware pursuing money and wealth. Of course, we also demonstrated our Christian commitment in the late 90s by buying: Christian CDs, Christian t-shirts, Christian concerts, etc. Capitalism tamed Christianity.
Ultimately, capitalism has triumphed over Christianity. Most Christians in America see capitalism as a blessing from God and anything that even hints of socialism (or, 1950s era capitalism) is deemed Marxist and vigorously opposed. The Epilogue is worth the price of the book, as in these 15 pages he brings the story up to the present (the final chapter ends around 1975). The election of Trump reflects the lauding of businessmen as near gods and the unfettered marketplace of neoliberalism has so enchanted us that we cannot imagine any alternative.
Of course, McCarraher does speculate on what the future may hold. This is kind of grim, but he also ends on a hopeful note, referencing the imagination of a better world in someone like St. Francis as an ideal we may grasp on to. It was disturbing to finish this book up on the same weekend that protest has spread throughout our country. From the beginning of the story when McCarraher writes about slavery to the epilogue where he talks of the ever widening gap between rich or poor, it is clear that though capitalism has enchanted us it is not good for all of us. These wealth inequalities and the racism that goes along with them are one part, a large part, of the history that has brought us to today. I don’t know if reading the news has made me more or less convinced that McCarraher was right, but I do hope we can imagine something more beautiful and beneficial than neoliberal capitalism.
All that to say, if you are into history or economics, read this book. It would be nice if there was a shorter version as it is quite tedious. Hopefully, like with Taylor’s work, smart people will come along to distill this for more of us. For now though, its a feast of history and economic history that is well worth it.
Charles Taylor’s book A Secular Age is a brilliant story of how the western world moved from a premodern age of enchantment to our current secular age. Refuting the commonly told subtraction story (we learned science and got rid of religion), Taylor told a fuller and more nuanced and detailed story. In his telling, to live in a secular age is to live in an age of disenchantment: the cosmos was once enlivened with spirits and power, but now it is just a brute natural world (an immanent frame). At the same time, it is an age of authenticity in which many beliefs are possible: the religious person and the skeptic both recognize there are other options for belief or non belief.
Yeah, you should read Taylor’s book too. McCarraher begins this book by arguing that one spot Taylor was wrong in saying our culture has moved from one described as enchanted to one of disenchantment. Instead, McCarraher argues, we have become a culture enchanted by money, greed, business: capitalism (hence the title). He spends the next 600 pages demonstrating this shift, telling a story that covers the same ground as Taylor’s.
Perhaps its wrong to say McCarraher simply thinks Taylor is wrong. Taylor’s book was more covering philosophy and religion, this one is focused more on economics and religion. In other words, they cover the same historical time period but focus on different people (at least, I don’t remember many of the people McCarraher talks about appearing in Taylor’s book...but I do feel I’ve become a bit more well-read since then and maybe they are in there).
McCarraher begins with the Puritans and there are some chilling passages in there about their views on not just money, but on African and Native Americans. If you are at all familiar with the “health and wealth” gospel today, you can see its roots in how he describes the Puritans understanding of money as a blessing. From there he moves through the time period describing rise of Fordism and assembly lines and more, as well as the theories behind all this, the advertising that promoted it, and those who futilely resisted it. By the time he talks about Disney’ place in a culture enchanted by consumerism and advertising needing to tell a story to create a need, you’re both convinced and depressed.
I suppose I should say, I was essentially convinced going in. As a Christian, I remember Jesus’ words, “you cannot serve both God and money.” Young Christians, as I was once, are warned to beware pursuing money and wealth. Of course, we also demonstrated our Christian commitment in the late 90s by buying: Christian CDs, Christian t-shirts, Christian concerts, etc. Capitalism tamed Christianity.
Ultimately, capitalism has triumphed over Christianity. Most Christians in America see capitalism as a blessing from God and anything that even hints of socialism (or, 1950s era capitalism) is deemed Marxist and vigorously opposed. The Epilogue is worth the price of the book, as in these 15 pages he brings the story up to the present (the final chapter ends around 1975). The election of Trump reflects the lauding of businessmen as near gods and the unfettered marketplace of neoliberalism has so enchanted us that we cannot imagine any alternative.
Of course, McCarraher does speculate on what the future may hold. This is kind of grim, but he also ends on a hopeful note, referencing the imagination of a better world in someone like St. Francis as an ideal we may grasp on to. It was disturbing to finish this book up on the same weekend that protest has spread throughout our country. From the beginning of the story when McCarraher writes about slavery to the epilogue where he talks of the ever widening gap between rich or poor, it is clear that though capitalism has enchanted us it is not good for all of us. These wealth inequalities and the racism that goes along with them are one part, a large part, of the history that has brought us to today. I don’t know if reading the news has made me more or less convinced that McCarraher was right, but I do hope we can imagine something more beautiful and beneficial than neoliberal capitalism.
All that to say, if you are into history or economics, read this book. It would be nice if there was a shorter version as it is quite tedious. Hopefully, like with Taylor’s work, smart people will come along to distill this for more of us. For now though, its a feast of history and economic history that is well worth it.
miguelf's review against another edition
DNF - Not sure how many of the reviewers listened intently to each of the 35 hours with rapt attention. Rarely do books lend themselves more to needing a decent editor. The few hours I spent with it were just very tedious - not disagreeing wholeheartedly with the content but.... so.... heavy handed and dull.
alexanderp's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
This exhaustive, but incredibly informative, tracing of capitalism's birth and formation into the modern era was incredible. The central thesis of how we moved our "gods" to capital is immensely persuasive.
McCarraher has done a masterful job of researching and weaving these dozens of historical figures to show just how deep this capitalist thread runs. Too few books have this much committed time behind them and I hope this will speak to more coming in the future years to come.
McCarraher has done a masterful job of researching and weaving these dozens of historical figures to show just how deep this capitalist thread runs. Too few books have this much committed time behind them and I hope this will speak to more coming in the future years to come.
ben_smitty's review against another edition
4.0
If you suspect that our collective addiction to buying random crap we don't need from Amazon.com seem almost religious, you might be on to something. Many will readily make a scapegoat out of Bezos because of his immense power, but it's almost reminiscent of the collective persecution of Christ, Oedipus, the witches of Salem, and other powerful religious figures throughout history and mythology (Girard would say that we have already deified Bezos in a way).
As many reviewers have already pointed out, McCaraher's book is an attempt to refute the idea that contemporary society is just "society - religion + science." It charts the history of how capitalism began with a religious idea, and how idea still remains: that wealth is a blessing from God, and the more wealth you have, the more deserving you are of that blessing.
Coursing through the development of Puritan theology, the enslavement of African-Americans, corporatism in America, the iconography of advertising, and so much more, McCaraher reveals that the religious worship of money as a sacrament has never left and is here to stay. It has enveloped so much of our day-to-day life, embedded itself so deeply within us that we cannot imagine a world that looks any different. Throughout this narrative history, McCaraher also introduces us to many of the romantics, socialist reactionaries, and working-class movements that attempted to stop the engulfing tide of capitalist enchantment but could not.
And yet, while McCaraher seems to believe this will inevitably lead to the implosion of capitalist nations, Christians of all ages have been astoundingly good at rebuilding the ruins. And he believes that we will. The spirit of what McCaraher calls "old communism," of Christian communitarianism which coincides with a sacramental view of the material world, is, for him, the only solution to rooting out capitalism and its "pecuniary metaphysic" once and for all.
My only complaint is that McCaraher could paraphrase and/or summarize more. There are quotes upon quotes upon quotes on every page, and though the storytelling is well-done, the quotes are a bit of an overkill (it took me 9 months to finish this book!)
As many reviewers have already pointed out, McCaraher's book is an attempt to refute the idea that contemporary society is just "society - religion + science." It charts the history of how capitalism began with a religious idea, and how idea still remains: that wealth is a blessing from God, and the more wealth you have, the more deserving you are of that blessing.
Coursing through the development of Puritan theology, the enslavement of African-Americans, corporatism in America, the iconography of advertising, and so much more, McCaraher reveals that the religious worship of money as a sacrament has never left and is here to stay. It has enveloped so much of our day-to-day life, embedded itself so deeply within us that we cannot imagine a world that looks any different. Throughout this narrative history, McCaraher also introduces us to many of the romantics, socialist reactionaries, and working-class movements that attempted to stop the engulfing tide of capitalist enchantment but could not.
And yet, while McCaraher seems to believe this will inevitably lead to the implosion of capitalist nations, Christians of all ages have been astoundingly good at rebuilding the ruins. And he believes that we will. The spirit of what McCaraher calls "old communism," of Christian communitarianism which coincides with a sacramental view of the material world, is, for him, the only solution to rooting out capitalism and its "pecuniary metaphysic" once and for all.
My only complaint is that McCaraher could paraphrase and/or summarize more. There are quotes upon quotes upon quotes on every page, and though the storytelling is well-done, the quotes are a bit of an overkill (it took me 9 months to finish this book!)
sampollard's review against another edition
I'm highly interested in the topic but I thought it was going to be more anthropological/sociological/philosophical, but it's very much a History book. The author goes into tremendous detail of writers and thinkers in the past and explains vigorously how attitudes to consumerism/wealth accumulation etc changed. I will probably come back and finish it at some point as it is accurate but right now I prefer to read something different
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