The Social Dynamics of Asceticism and the Ascetic Dynamics of Society: Kenneth Boulding as Dialogue Partner for (Orthodox) Christian Social Thought

Abstract: This article outlines the personally and socially transformative nature of Orthodox Christian asceticism as an embodiment of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, dying and rising with him daily. It then details the common, 3-tiered ascetic schema of moral motivation in the images of the slave, the steward, and the son, being motivated by fear of punishment, desire for reward, and love for the Father, respectively. These motivations, in turn, dovetail with Kenneth Boulding’s analysis of social dynamics in terms of threat, exchange, and integrative systems. Moreover, Boulding highlights, but does not elaborate on, the character patterns of forbearance and sainthood. This article demonstrates how these character patterns, through the logic of asceticism, transform the logic of threat systems, strongly recommending the value of interdisciplinary work between modern economics and social science, on the one hand, and Orthodox Christian ascetic theology, on the other, for a careful and unique contribution to Christian social thought as a whole.

Keywords: Asceticism; Christian Social Thought; General Systems Theory; Kenneth Boulding; Orthodox Christianity

JEL codes: B55, Z12, Z13