On The Front Lines
With 27 Shopping Days Left Until Christmas, OldSpeak talks to 'Rev. Billy' About his 'Buy Less, Give More' Campaign & the Church of Stop Shopping
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- With just 27 shopping days left until Christmas, OldSpeak, an online publication of The Rutherford Institute, hosts a provocative interview with William Talen, a.k.a. Reverend Billy, and his wife Savitri, founders of the Church of Stop Shopping, who are on a mission to institute a "slow gift" movement. The interview, "What Would Jesus Buy?," provides a lucid, compelling look at American consumerism, mass commercialization and their impact on communities.
For example, when asked about what the Church of Stop Shopping is trying to accomplish with its staged protests of large retailers and shopping boycotts, Talen remarked, "Once you convert over to buying less and giving more--the Jesus idea--a whole new economy kicks in." Savitri added, "You don't have to buy a gift to give a gift. The greatest gift is the one you may already have. It might be right beside you or inside you. Your time or your love. Give your kids your undivided attention for an hour or so. I think that is really what we have to learn from Jesus. It is the power of a gift."
William Talen has been preaching an anti-consumerist message on the streets of New York since the late 1990s. Having gained a reputation as a performer and producer, Talen turned to evangelical gospel preachers for inspiration in creating his most memorable role of all: Reverend Billy. What began as a solo act has since expanded into a full-fledged movement to combat the rampant consumerism that plagues American society. The Church of Stop Shopping, as it is now called, is a non-profit organization and performance group that includes William Talen as Reverend Billy, theatrical director Savitri Durkee, a 34-member gospel choir and an 8-piece "Not-Buying-It" band.
From his "pulpit," Reverend Billy urges Americans to resist the culture of consumption and all its damaging effects on the environment, small businesses, culture, community and individuals. Reverend Billy has famously staged demonstrations--or "interventions"--at several locations throughout New York City and other areas of the country, some resulting in arrests. The Church of Stop Shopping called for a national "Buy Nothing Day" on Friday, November 23, a day traditionally marked by huge sales and mass shopping as the first of the Christmas shopping season. Preaching a message of "buy less and give more," Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping have been featured in a new film documentary directed by Sundance award winner Rob VanAlkemade, What Would Jesus Buy?, which recently premiered in New York.
OldSpeak, the online journal of The Rutherford Institute, is dedicated to publishing interviews, articles and commentary on subjects often overlooked by the mainstream media in the areas of politics, art, culture, law and religion. The Rutherford Institute is an international, nonprofit civil liberties organization committed to defending constitutional and human rights.
