RELIGIOUS IDOLATRY AND THE MONETIZATION OF CHURCHES AS A COMMODIFYING LINK OF HUMAN AND FINANCIAL CAPITAL

Abstract

This article critically analyzes the convergence between contemporary religious idolatry and the monetization mechanisms of confessional corporations, investigating this complex as a structural link in the commodification of human capital and financial capital within the framework of late capitalism. Drawing upon the critical contributions of Karl Marx, Paula Sibilia, Michel Foucault, and Byung-Chul Han, it discusses how the shift from traditional sacredness to the idolatry of the pastoral figure—where the leader is transformed into a brand—engineers a sophisticated technology of subjectivity control. This process subjectifies the believer, converting their existential devotion and labor power into highly productive human capital, which serves as the foundation for the systematic extraction of financial capital through Prosperity Theology and the digital attention economy. It concludes that neo-religious institutions operate as authentic flexible corporations, wherein the spectacularization of intimacy and moral panic are mobilized to capture human cognition, maximize corporate profit, and consolidate teopolitical influence networks within the contemporary public sphere.