Pious materialism: how American view faith and money - Religion and Economic Values survey conducted at Princeton University - Cover Story

Christian Century, March 3, 1993 by Robert Wuthnow

PUNDITS DUBBED the 1980s the Decade of Greed. Yuppies, Rolex watches, Avia sneakers, Michael Milken, Charles Keating and the Trump shuttle defined the period. Now, faced with a multitrillion-dollar national debt, we have apparently decided that pocketbook issues should occupy our attention. A new president has been elected to put our financial house in order; preachers and poets call us to repent. But what do Americans really think about money and material possessions? And what role, if any, does religious faith play in guiding our thinking?

If money talks, it does so with a divided voice. The subject evokes deep ambivalence within many people. On the one hand, the sentiment prevails that American culture emphasizes money and material goods too much. On the other hand, most individuals are themselves terribly interested in money, and few seem able to decide when enough is enough. Faith, too, has a voice in these matters, but often it is one that can scarcely be heard. These are among the conclusions emerging from a three-year research project on Religion and Economic Values at Princeton University. Last spring we completed a nationally representative survey of the active (employed) U.S. labor force in which more than 2,000 people participated. We have also interviewed more than 150 people from various faiths and occupations in greater depth. Their responses provide new insight into our deepest obsession--money.

The mood of the '90s may well be more sober than that of the '80s. The view we heard repeatedly during interviews was that money is indeed corrupting our society. Margaret Anderson, 40, an accountant who works in a large firm on the West Coast, expressed it well when she said, "There's an overemphasis on material goods. Like home computers. You're always having to add things to them. Or furniture. You buy things just because of how they will look when people come to your house. It's easy to allow money to corrupt you."

In the survey, 89 percent agreed that "our society is much too materialistic"; 74 percent said materialism is a serious social problem; and 71 percent said society would be better off if less emphasis were placed on money. Many of the people we talked to described the corrosive effect of materialism on their families. Young adults reflected on how hard their parents had worked. The result was a comfortable life, but one saddened by emotional distance. Even more common were the young parents who talked about their own children being corrupted by television and by advertising. Ninety percent of those surveyed agreed that "children today want too many material things." And 75 percent agreed that "advertising is corrupting our basic values." Chicago attorney Stuart Cummings, 33, sees himself as a bulwark of restraint who seldom succumbs to material desires. But he admits, "I worry about my kids. It's a very consumer-oriented era for our kids. They grow up watching TV, they see things they want, every commercial is like beckoning them in. And so I worry about [materialism] on their level. I'd like to rein things in."

Also prevalent is a view that materialism is at odds with the deeper human values that have made us a great nation. Teri Silver, 29, a systems analyst who worked for Michael Milken and is now laid off, says she was sickened by the greed she saw among her co-workers. But the deep materialism she came to recognize in herself made her feel even worse. She admits she's totally obsessed about buying a leather jacket. She thinks we have to get beyond materialism if we are truly going to care for others. "Going without some things," she says, "would open our eyes to the needs of other people."

IT IS POSSIBLE to be cynical about these views. Having listened to people talk at length about their aims and aspirations, however, I am inclined to give their remarks a more benign reading. Most of us are quite sincere when we express concern about our society's pervasive materialism. We sense that our wants are spiraling out of control. We know there is more to life than having nice things. For many of us, a religious factor may also prompt our misgivings. We are dimly aware of biblical teachings contrasting the worship of God and mammon. When journalists write of greed, we remember that religious authors have had something to say on the topic as well. Secular as our culture is, 71 percent still agree that "being greedy is a sin against God."

Thinking that materialism is a serious problem, however, seems to have little connection with how we actually live our lives. Money and material possessions are, in fact, among the things we cherish most deeply. Our consumer habits are one indication of their importance. We spend huge sums on consumer products, mount increasing credit card debts, and perceive ourselves to be under enormous financial pressure. In the survey 63 percent said the statement. "I think a lot about money and finances" describes them very well or fairly well, and 84 percent admitted "I wish I had more money than I do." On more specific questions, virtually everyone mentioned having serious financial concerns.