can capitalism be redeemed?

Capitalism as if the World Matters by Jonathon Porritt is being released in paperback this month, and it's one that I really ought to read. Like Capitalism 3.0, which I read earlier this year, it argues that it's our methods of capitalism, and not the system itself, that puts our economy and the environment in such seemingly irreconcilable opposition. I've blogged about this question before. For me as a Christian with Jesus' teachings about greed and wealth in mind, the question isn't so much Can we reconcile economic growth with environmental care? but Why on earth should we bother? But that's easy for me to say, sitting at the top of the economic heap as I am. For people in the Third World--or even my friends in Romania--or even those lower down on the economic hierarchy in the U.S.--the question is more personal. They want to move up the ladder before it's pulled out from under them.

I haven't read Porritt's book yet, but the Grist tells me that his conclusions are similar to Barnes: we can reshape capitalism, and the key to motivating change is helping people to see changes as good for them and their quality of life--not at some nebulous time in the future, but right here and now, today. As far as that goes, I couldn't agree more. I've said for a long time that this ought to be the focus of the environmental movement: demonstrating the here-and-now benefits of an environmental lifestyle. The purpose of this blog is to demonstrate the spiritual benefits of an environmental lifestyle from a Christian perspective. But it has always seemed to me that many of the benefits that have been traditional recognized by the Christian church and that an environmental lifestyle lends itself to easily--benefits like humility and simplicity--stand in direct opposition to the materialism inherent in a capitalist system. Can capitalism be environmental? Absolutely: all it requires is putting a financial price tag on natural resources. Can capitalism be Christian? That's the part I doubt.

It is extremely encouraging to think about the possibilities for saving the environment while--or even by--working within our existing system. Adjusting a system is always much easier than building a new one from scratch. But as a Christian, while I can appreciate the system and work within it, I prefer to keep a respectful distance from the pursuit of economic happiness through materialism and wealth. It's not it's wrong to be wealthy--it's a blessing, and one I'm grateful for when I have it. But it's a dangerous blessing (which is probably why it's not entrusted to me very much). As Jesus said, it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.