Corporate religion

Corporations are becoming more and more religious, more and more evangelical about capitalism.

Big companies have an origin story, a mission, a range of ethics, and a particular set of practices. Many of them have charismatic leaders. (Or at least a leader who believes they’re charismatic.)

These are all basic and necessary components of organised religion. Finding salvation through employment. Finding redemption through old gods dressed up as new gods.

The Hollywood industrial entertainment complex has taken over religion. People happily gather to pay to see Thor, the god of thunder, played by a muscled Australian actor in their local multiplex.

The gods have moved from stained glass backlit by a setting sun to a billion pixels of light projected onto a screen in cathedrals we call cinemas and Americans call theaters.

And in the process the gods of old have become a little more sassy, a little more, well, entertaining.

Rather than tithings to the church we now pay subscriptions to a multitude of streaming platforms.

All business is now show business.