All over Europe, and much of the rest of the world, there are vast majestic cathedrals dedicated to God. Now that, as society at least, we have pretty much lost God, where are the new cathedrals? Who are they dedicated to? I’ve had a few ideas for potential candidates and I’m going to run a little series exploring each of them:

The Mall (Shopping Centres)

If the religion of our time is ‘Consumerism’, then would that not make shopping centres our new cathedrals? They certainly seem to be the most widespread buildings where people come together to “worship” (or at least support the prevailing ideology). Products have replaced the holy spirit and cooperations form the new clergy. I see socioeconomic status as the ‘presence of God’ or ‘Heaven’, the big difference being that all the fruits of Consumerism are instant and here in this life, whilst heaven is a future reward.

The Christian clergy, for much of it’s instituationalised reign, controlled the Truth by being literate in a world of general illiteracy. This allowed it to get across it’s own message without having to worry too much about the common parishoner questioning what it was saying. Consumerism has had to take a different approach, preaching a much more abstract and subconscious message that is open to widespread criticism, but which has still managed to be stunningly successful. What constitutes authentic Consumerism is shaped and controlled through commercial power, capital and education to a certain extent (marketing men are educated in the manipulation of markets and individuals).

Art, often in the form of stained glass windows, is common in cathedrals and helped the illiterate surf to learn and understand bible stories, enabling them to advance in the religion or obtain guidance on how to live via the Poor Man’s Bible. With Consumerism, the stories have spread from the cathedral and now permeate all media, but their purpose remains broadly the same. The key emotional incentive drawing people to the cathedral has changed from one of fear (of hell) to one of potential rewards (a better life), but the other sides of the coin (Heaven and, for example, fear of crime) are still important. Advertisements have become the parables of our age, and PR departments are the new disciples.

It’s unfortunate that even with the vast wealth that Consumerism commands, it has been unable to build anything even remotely as majestic as a middle-age cathedral. Ultimately the mall is a building designed for utility; a blank canvas for where individual companies can display their own short term architecture and art. It’s difficult to imagine people travelling to look at our shopping centres in hundreds of years time. If they do it will likely be from a ‘look at this stunning squandering of the Earth’s resources’ viewpoint.

Who are we worshipping here? Ourselves? That’s what the individualistic nature of Consumerism would suggest. But perhaps that’s really an illusion, perhaps we are worshiping the characters in the stories, the people in the adverts. Or are we worshipping fate and fortune? The act of purchasing could represent a prayer to Fortune, as if to say ‘I’ve bought this, now bring me what I want like you promised - to be happy and successful (or whatever) like the people in the adverts’. If this is true, then Consumerism seems to revolve around the same core idea of Christianity and many other religions: action (or worship) yields rewards.

So how does the shopping centre fare as the new cathedral? It certainly has the physical presence, but its message and purpose is obscure when compared to the direct concrete ideology of Christianity, even if it has been arguably more successful. I’ll look at some more potential candidates over the coming weeks.