Enough Is Enough: Degrowth, Capitalism, and Liberation Theology

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.

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.

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.