Shaking the Gates of Hell

Book Review: Shaking the Gates of Hell
Author: Sharon Delgado

400-plus pages of facts and data about the evils of corporate globalization and how it adversely affects everyone who is not a corporation. In particular, corporations concerned only with their bottom-lines do not care about people in poverty, indigenous communities, women and children, or the environment.

The bulk of the book lays out how large organizations and agreements such as NAFTA, the WTO, the IMF, and the World Bank work to dismantle local economies and keep people impoverished. The media contributes, oftentimes even unwittingly, because they are themselves owned by large corporations who are only concerned about profits and shareholders. Most egregious is how big world powers profit from war.

It was hard to make it through the book, because it was downright discouraging. But, the very last chapter had some concrete ways that people can rise up against evil, particularly for people of faith.

“Local churches can institute programs that enable them to be a witness and model of ecological conversion by eliminating toxic chemicals, creating a community garden, landscaping with native plants, or becoming energy efficient. At the same time, churches can provide space for support groups, present educational forums, host community meetings, provide tutoring or job training, and offer food for the hungry and shelter for the homeless. Congregations can serve fair-trade coffee, provide sanctuary for immigrants, support conscientious objectors to war, host diversity trainings or interfaith gathers, plan programs to expand awareness, or organize campaigns for local or global issues of concern.”

Rise up Christians.