Religious Market and Market as Religion

Main Article Content

Jung Mo Sung

Abstract

The theory of the religious market begins with the observation of religious pluralism and comes to the conclusion that, in this situation, religion becomes a matter of personal or family choice and it is established a situation of competition among religions subordinated to the logic of the market economy. Thus, religions reduced to the sphere of private life can no longer perform the traditional role of religions in legitimizing the whole social order. This article analyzes the thesis of the subordination of religion to the logic of the market economy and puts forward the hypothesis that the traditional function of the religion of "absolutizing the relative and legitimizing the arbitrary" is exercised today by the capitalist market system itself; and, because of that, the logic of the market economy has become the "natural” way of thinking today, even to think about religion. To this purpose, it dialogues mainly with the thought of P. Berger, P. Bourdieu, M. Weber, W. Benjamin, K. Marx, F. Hinkelammert and H. Assmann, showing how the theme of faith in and sacralization of market appears in discourses of economists.

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How to Cite
SUNG, Jung Mo. Religious Market and Market as Religion. HORIZONTE - Journal of Studies in Theology and Religious Sciences, Belo Horizonte, v. 12, n. 34, p. 290–315, 2014. DOI: 10.5752/P.2175-5841.2014v12n34p290. Disponível em: https://periodicos.pucminas.br/horizonte/article/view/P.2175-5841.2014v12n34p290. Acesso em: 26 oct. 2025.
Section
Artigos/Articles: Dossiê/Dossier
Author Biography

Jung Mo Sung, UMESP

Doutor em Ciências da Religião, com estudos pós-doutorais em Educação. Professor do PPG-Ciências da Religião da Universidade Metodista de São Paulo.