Shopping Cart Pantheism

The latest work of critical theory and literary fiction from cultural theorist Randolph (Ethics of Luxury) is both perplexing and delightful. Her writing is rooted in eclectic research and a deeply fertile imagination. Beneath the surface conceit of a deeply introspective travel diary from a trip to Las Vegas, the book's purpose is twofold: to map the interactions between Christianity and paganism as the world embraces consumerism, and to trace the origins of this shift to the enormous damage that the Cold War inflicted on the Western psyche. The tone remains funny, smart, and engaging as Randolph spins a kaleidoscope of vignettes of Vegas and intricately wrought meditations on materialist culture. Randolph's argument that material goods have become objects of worship in Western culture is all the more persuasive for its lack of judgment. Instead of chastising consumers, she compassionately positions product pantheism as a cure for what she terms "post-apocalyptic regression." Steeped in history, theology, and Freudian psychoanalysis, the book is intellectual but accessible, and a whole lot of fun. (June)