Overview

Capitalism's excessive patterns of production and consumption are fueling the biggest existential threat to humanity: climate change. The central assumption of our current economic system puts economic growth before all other values. But infinite growth on a finite planet is fundamentally impossible. We must embrace the idea of degrowth. With a name like ""degrowth,"" misunderstandings are easy to come by, like assuming degrowth is about austerity or population control; on the contrary, degrowth means rejecting economic growth as the measure for social progress, such that we might grow other parts of our social life and ourselves. The problem isn't too few resources or too many people; it's capitalism's system of growth. Enough Is Enough argues that the economic and theological directions offered by liberation theology give us a unique paradigm for Christians to question the hegemony of growth. In a moment of climate crisis, Christians can orient themselves according to alternative values rooted in a relationship with creation that sees all creatures as siblings. Degrowth encourages us to expand our imaginations beyond a fixation on growth for growth's sake, to discover ways of organizing our societies according to different values. It's time for us to say, ""Enough is enough,"" and to accept that if we abandon our drive for growth, we will discover there is already enough to go around.

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Reviews

Accessible and incisive, Enough Is Enough offers a theologically powerful and theoretically rich vision of a liberative theology of degrowth. The book sets out a compelling and creative vision for Christianity in a time of climate crisis, alongside a clear articulation of the theoretical tools that liberation theology can offer to contemporary political struggles. A must-read. --Marika Rose, associate professor of systematic theology, Dublin City University An engaging and provocative book that brings liberation theology into conversation with degrowth. It challenges Christians--and others--to imagine an economy of solidarity beyond growth. Achieving climate justice and a just social-ecological transformation will require broad coalitions across society, and this book offers a thoughtful contribution to that shared endeavor from within the Christian tradition. --Matthias Schmelzer, professor for social-ecological transformation research at the University of Flensburg and coauthor of The Future Is Degrowth Degrowth is not (only) about less; it is about different--and the world's religions and spiritual teachings have much to teach us on why and how to live differently. Coming from outside the conventional degrowth choir, this is a fresh and very welcome read. --Giorgos Kallis, ICREA research professor, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) The climate crisis is the most important event since the dawn of agriculture, but capitalism's canopy of idols, like Gross Domestic Product and growth, proscribe practically all pathways for rapid decarbonization. Blending liberation theology, ecosocialism, and emerging arguments for degrowth, Matthew Bernico and Dean Dettloff develop a compelling analysis of the imaginary relationships curating our reflexive devotion to Mammon and Moloch. --Tad DeLay, author of Future of Denial: The Ideologies of Climate Change Enough Is Enough is a major contribution to the degrowth movement from the parts of Christian tradition that reject the absurd idolatry of growth, denounce its oppression, and strive for an economy designed for life. The book opens our eyes to an economic system that does not make us healthier, freer, more equal, more compassionate, or more fulfilled. It invites everyone, and especially Christians, not only to imagine a different economy but to rally for it. The book is an inspiring read for anyone who is fed up with the emptiness of consumerism, who is demoralized by a world economy fueled by exploitation, and who wants to be liberated to live a more fulfilling life. --Luísa Fondello, senior international cooperation officer at Caritas Europa Do you ever have those moments when you are going about your business and then, apropos of nothing, are gripped with an existential horror by the question: Considering the ever-increasing rate of human extraction, can our world exist into the future? You shudder at what you think to be the answer. But authors Dean Dettloff and Matt Bernico have good news for people like you and me: There is hope for the future. But this hope comes with one important caveat: We must recognize, as the authors do, that ""what we need most is that which capitalism needs least, a relationship to the world that is not fundamentally oriented toward growth."" Therefore, to ensure that the world and all that is in it continue, we must overcome capitalism and envision a new economic order. Enough Is Enough is an engaging argument for simplicity built on joy and an economy built on a freedom that can only be achieved through placing ultimate value on loving our neighbors and creation. When I reached the end of the book, which is a deft combination of journalism, theology, and hope-filled writing, I ironically found myself saying, ""More! More! More!"" --Josiah R. Daniels, senior associate opinion editor for Sojo.net

Author Information

Matt Bernico is a trade unionist living on the west coast of Scotland. He has a PhD in media communications from the European Graduate School and an MA in political philosophy from the University of Illinois in Springfield. His writing has appeared in many media outlets, including Sojourners, America, and Protean. Together, Matt and Dean Dettloff host The Magnificast, a podcast about Christianity and leftist politics. You can find more wherever podcasts are available. Dean Dettloff is a Catholic activist, researcher, and journalist involved in international solidarity with the Global South. He has a PhD in philosophy from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, where he resides. His writing has appeared in many media outlets, including Sojourners, Commonweal, America, and the National Catholic Reporter. Together, Dean and Matt Bernico host The Magnificast, a podcast about Christianity and leftist politics. You can find more wherever podcasts are available.

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