As a Christian I find this immensely worrying, not least because of being involved in teaching 'Gospel and Society' to trainee readers and Methodist lay-preachers in which some of the course material explores the first century socio-economic matrices in Palestine where indebtedness, slavery and oprression were a mutually reinforcing mix. I can't help feeling that in a globalizing world where TNC's seem to have the potential [and many would argue the actual] power to determine lives in a way commensurate with nation-states, that indebtedness leaves us vulnerable to tyranny, to not mince words [split infinitive -hard to convey the force without it].
I drew attention to the Mustard Seed site a few blogs back and one of the temes out of that is quite heavy on not buying into what makes for debt [literally as well as metaphorically]. It is an issue of discipleship -but where does it appear in our Alpha courses etc? Anyone know of discipleship or intros to Christian faith courses where such issues are dealt with? Do we think we should deal with them in such contexts? What should we identify as key discipleship issues in addition or instead?
I think I wold consider doing something on finding identity in consumerist society and I think that it would have to be pretty up for dealing with it as an issue of spiritual direction not just of head-knowledge. I've had a long-tern aim to write a confirmation/baptism course which is practically oriented on issues like building a rule of life and identifying key cultural issues as part of that....
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