“What Would Jesus Buy?”

Nothing says conspicuous consumerism like a shopping mall at Christmas time, as most of us have already found out in the past several weeks.

But the documentary film, “What Would Jesus Buy?” aims to make us think about the holidays in a different way – a non-shopping kind of way.

The film focuses on the issues of the commercialization of Christmas, materialism, the over-consumption in American culture, globalization and the business practices of large corporations, as seen through the prism of activist/performance artist “Reverend Billy” Talen. The film follows Billy and his choir as they take a cross-country trip in the month prior to Christmas 2005, spreading their message against the evils of patronizing several different large corporate retail chains.

Reverend Billy will be on hand for the screening of “What Would Jesus Buy?” at The Linda in Albany at 7pm Thursday (December 17).

Then at 8pm Friday (December 18), Reverend Billy and the Church of Life After Shopping Choir ask the musical question, “Are You Ready For The Shopocalypse?,” with a performance at the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy. Joined by the Not Buying It Band, Reverend Billy’s performance is part of his “Blessed are the Jobless! Blessed are the Broke!” Christmas Tour.