Careful – sometimes history is too hot to handle! Today we’re rolling out what may be the most provocative video in our not-exactly-bland-to-start-with library of Economic Wisdom Project Talks. We’re also releasing video of the Karam Forum 2021 presentation on the same topic.
Our thinking about justice is profoundly shaped by history, which is why this year’s Karam Forum focused on justice in Christian history. And one of our thorniest historical problems, in our polarized moment, is how we remember the Industrial Revolution.
Some emphasize the liberating power of this massive social upheaval, overthrowing arbitrary aristocratic power in society and opening up radically wider access to economic participation, growth and progress. Others emphasize how the Industrial Revolution is associated with the emergence of a new, materialistic social ethic, the disruption of traditional forms of community, and the introduction of new evils like child factory labor.
The Wesleyan movement provides a window into this conundrum. Wesley simultaneously supported what was good and challenged what was bad in the dramatic social and economic changes unfolding in his time. His ability to do both was essential to his movement’s success.
In a spicy-hot Economic Wisdom Project Talk, historians Jennifer Woodruff Tait and Charlie Self put their heads together and explore how we can do justice to both sides of this story, recognizing the ways in which the Industrial Revolution has been liberating, while also recognizing the serious new problems it has introduced. Jay Moon of Asbury Theological Seminary dons his theological hazmat suit to host this stimulating conversation.
EWP Talks are an invaluable classroom resource brought to you by the Economic Wisdom Project. These short, meaty, engaging and accessible videos connect the best of theological scholarship to today’s pressing problems. And they’re a perfect fit for remote or hybrid classrooms striving to avoid Zoom fatigue. You can browse our EWP Talks library by topic, from New Testament and History to Pastoral Leadership and Culture. Consider assigning an EWP Talk in your upcoming class!
Woodruff Tait highlighted the dislocation introduced by the Industrial Revolution. Existing institutions, norms and social systems were not able to handle the dramatic scale and pace of change, leaving many people in broken situations with no one to care for them. Traditional forms of meaning and coherence were fragmented. And attitudes about work were thrown off balance:
Jennifer Woodruff Tait: Well, the one that [the Industrial Revolution] gets critiqued for most often is the workaholism of today’s society. Meaning is found in our jobs, but the idea that the meaning is found only in your job, and only in work outside the home; the lack of an adequate rhythm of home and work life. A lot of that gets laid on the Industrial Revolution, and gets laid on Wesley in particular. And it gets laid on his sermon, “The Use of Money,” which is probably one of his most famous sermons, because it’s the one where he said, “earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.” And Wesley, of course, what he was most interested in was the giving. He was most interested in the fact that people in the Methodist movement should be industrious so they would have ways to assist others, and to help with all the dislocating things that he saw. But a lot of people in his own day got stuck on the first two. He called that out in the sermon, and they still got stuck! And a lot of people from then on have gotten stuck, and people have pointed back and said, “well, see, it’s all Wesley’s fault, because he said, ‘you should work all you can.’” Well, that’s not the whole story.
Jay Moon: Yeah. I think Wesley assumed that they would do like he did, right? He made five to six million dollars in today’s terms, in his business, but when he died, he had none of it left! So he assumed that they would do that third thing, but not necessarily.
Self highlighted the discoveries the Industrial Revolution made possible. Massive new wealth creation, ultimately grounded not in technological innovation but in mobilizing the creative gifts of millions in collaborative markets, led to dramatic drops in material poverty, new engines of support for art and education, and new respect for the vocation of ordinary workers. And Wesleyans saw the dynamic economy as an opportunity to launch constructive social enterprises through business:
Jay Moon: One reason Wesley’s attractive is that he’s kind of a boots-dirty kind of guy, hands on, blue collar, among the poor, et cetera, which is different than some others that have spoken about this topic. And his focus on the poor in particular inspired other contemporaries like Arthur Guinness and the Lever brothers and Cadbury and Wedgwood. So Charlie, I come back to you on this one. How does his example inspire and encourage social entrepreneurs for today? In other words, what would he say to social entrepreneurs today to encourage or inspire them?
Charlie Self: What’s interesting is, we think of social entrepreneurship or social enterprise as a modern construct, right? Wesley would use different terms, but he would talk about glorifying God and how you go about creating the conditions for everyone to flourish. And so, just to use your examples, whether it’s a Cadbury or a Wedgwood or a Guinness, these folks care about the working conditions of their employees, they give opportunities for education, they know that healthy employees are going to be productive employees. Right? So this idea of a triple bottom line, this idea that we can make a profit, care for people, care for the planet – Wesley would have used other terms. He would’ve talked about stewarding the goodness of God’s providential resources, of stewarding the opportunities, especially in generosity. And I think it’s a great template to build on – with new language perhaps, and with new examples in today’s gig economy, but we have a chance to build on the same template.
We also got a webinar out of this talk, which is a first for us! Riffing on Woodruff Tait’s description of how Wesley addressed systemic as well as individual injustice, Moon mentioned Wesley’s term “complicated wickedness.” Well, we liked that so much, we made a webinar out of it. Mark your calendar for February 22!
You can also check out the newly released video of Woodruff Tait and Self’s joint presentation at Karam Forum, in which Woodruff Tait refers to “capitalism” and then says: “Yes, I said the C-word!”
Have a glass of water handy when you watch this extra-spicy talk, and consider assigning it in your classroom today!
