Middlesex University Research Repository An open access repository of Middlesex University research http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk Clark, Jason (2018) Evangelicalism and capitalism: a reparative account and diagnosis of pathogeneses in the relationship. PhD thesis, Middlesex University / London School of Theology. [Thesis] Final accepted version (with author’s formatting) This version is available at: https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/25949/ Copyright: Middlesex University Research Repository makes the University’s research available electronically. Copyright and moral rights to this work are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners unless otherwise stated. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. 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See also repository copyright: re-use policy: http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/policies.html#copy EVANGELICALISM AND CAPITALISM A reparative account and diagnosis of pathogeneses in the relationship A thesis submitted to Middlesex University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Jason Paul Clark Middlesex University Supervised at London School of Theology June 2018 Abstract Jason Paul Clark, “Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A reparative account and diagnosis of pathogeneses in the relationship.” Doctor of Philosophy, Middlesex University, 2018. No sustained examination and diagnosis of problems inherent to the relationship of Evangeli- calism with capitalism currently exists. Where assessments of the relationship have been un- dertaken, they are often built upon a lack of understanding of Evangelicalism, and an uncritical reliance both on Max Weber’s Protestant Work Ethic and on David Bebbington’s Quadrilateral of Evangelical priorities. This then gives rise to misunderstandings and faulty prescriptions for the future of Evangelicalism. This thesis seeks to remedy this situation by providing a robust diagnostic, not to refute Evangelicalism, but as a reparative. This reparative attends to the faulty responses of either over-dichotomising capitalist markets against ecclesial life, or the further capitulation of ecclesial life to the deforming forces of capitalism. It also allows for an alterna- tive proposal for the future of Evangelicalism. To achieve this, the thesis makes use of some methodological innovations and pro- posals, and also extends them. First, the thesis proposes and deploys its own 'map-making’ method as a kind of heuristic concept map to trace correspondence between church acts and beliefs. This 'map-making' ensures that the thesis provides evaluation and resourcing for de- ployment to current and related Evangelical contexts. Second, the thesis proposes that, contrary to methodological worries by others, it is possible to talk about and make an account of the two broad domains of Evangelicalism and capitalism. Third, in order to provide a reading of eccle- sial life, the main accounts for this thesis draw upon and deploy the ‘binocular dialectic’ and method of Martyn Percy, by reading theology with social science. This ‘binocular' method es- tablishes the thesis in two parts. Part one is an account of Evangelicalism and capitalism con- structed from social science sources; part two follows with theological explication of this ac- count. Chapter one establishes the research problem, method and research design. Following chapter two’s review and modulation of Bebbington’s quadrilateral, chapters three and four make an account and reading from social science, drawing upon both with an ‘ideal type ac- count’ with Max Weber, and a ‘materialist account’ with Karl Polanyi. Here, Evangelicalism is revealed to be both a creature of and response to capitalism, where Evangelical anxieties around assurance migrated into anxieties about providence. Where Evangelicals initially used the disciplined ascetics of the market for identity and relationships, these market ascetics ulti- mately deformed and replaced Christian social imaginaries, with market imaginations around Providence. Chapter five constructs a theological reading of the ascetics of that account, using Neo-Augustinian sources, in particular Vincent Miller, Daniel Bell and William Cavanaugh. From this, the thesis problematises capitalist markets as rival schools of desire to ecclesial life, not as a dichotomy, but rather as modes of resistance, resonance and co-creation. Drawing on the work of Graham Ward and James K. A Smith, chapter 6 shows how the ascetics of com- modification leverage the nature of human agency around imaginations for Providence. This results in weakened resistance to, and further co-option to, the deforming forces of capitalism by Evangelicalism. The thesis reveals that producing more effective worship curricula is insuf- ficient to the task of resisting the deforming forces of capitalism. Ultimately the thesis functions as a 'minority report' proposing that Evangelicalism, armed with the findings from this thesis, is uniquely situated to respond to the problems it has caused. Understanding how Evangelicalism has lost its resistance to the deforming forces of capitalism, and in some ways perfected those forces, is the beginning of understanding how it might then respond constructively to the problems it has caused, and with its own internal re- sources. ii Acknowledgements I am deeply indebted and grateful to the following people, without whom this research would not have been possible. Thank you to the exceptional staff of Portland Seminary – Dr. MaryKate Morse, Dr. Loren Kerns, Dr. Chuck Conniry, and Dr. Leonard Sweet - it was you who initially encouraged me to consider this endeavour. You have then sustained me with your support over the many years of its production. Dr. Andrew Walker - a timely car journey with you, and your care and interest, opened up the door for the start of my research. Dr. Martyn Percy - thank you for the symposium at Rippon College; it was the location and reason for the car journey with Dr. Walker. That event and a conversation with you spurred me into action. Dr. Luke Bretherton - thank you for the first years of my research with you, for your supervisions, recommended reading, and conver- sations that stretched me, formed me, and set me on my way. Dr. Dominic Erdozain - thank you for introducing me to the historical resources within and surrounding my project. Dr. Anna Rowlands - thank you for the time where you were able to take on the baton of supervision and continue to move my project forward. Then, due to the challenges of life and vagaries of institutional restructuring, thank you to my Alma Mater, London School of Theology (LST) for proving a place to complete my research. Dr. Graham McFarlane - your willingness to listen, explore and support my move to LST was a relief and a wonderful homecoming. You were a gift when I was an undergraduate at LST and now, 30 years later, you continue to be a blessing to me. Dr. Anna Robbins - thank you for picking me up and my research, for your encouragements and supervisions that got me to submission and completion. Thank you, Sheri Smith and Anika P., for proofreading my work, saving my sanity and eyesight. Thank you, Dr. James Hayton for helping me see the wood for the trees and coaching me through research writing for style, structure and process. A further thank you to Portland Seminary, for the invitation to design and lead the Lead- ership and Global Perspectives D.Min (LGP). The amazing students of the LGP have been the critical location for field-testing my thesis. Dr. Cliff Berger and Heather Rainey - thank you for all you have done to make the LGP a joy to lead. Thank you to my church Sutton Vineyard, who have made space, and provided exten- sive financial support for this work. You have been the ‘parish’ in which I have the privilege of serving, and seeing the outworking of my findings. Thank you to the Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics, for a grant award in the midst of my research. Thank you to Brian and Julie Durrant, Tony and Lizzie Murphy, Simon and Helen Machin, Aredi Pitsiaeli, Mark and Faith Allpress, Rob and Clem Ahearn, and Jim and Edena Seaton for initial gifts that funded the start of this PhD. There are several other friends who made similar gifts whose names are lost in the annals of time; forgive me for not naming you here and thank you. Shawn Holtzclaw - thank you for your mentorship, for continually spurring me on, and for the financial gifts you and Anne Holtzclaw made to Sutton Vineyard in support of my PhD funding. Steve Mitchell - thank you for your mentorship and unflagging belief in me and my work. Then my friends Steve and Karen, Mark and Faith, Chris and Debby, Steve and Lyn - thank you for your prayers and support all these years. Jim and Edena, aka Mom and Dad - your love, support and prayers have sustained me. Lastly, thank you to my family - my wife Beverley Clark, and my children Anna, Cameron, and Leah, who have seen me spend most mornings for many years locked away in my study for first a D.Min, and then all the subsequent years for this PhD.