God and the Market: Steps Towards a Moral Economy

Daniel M. Kolos is president of Benben Books, a company publishing
scholarly works.

Realizing that the global market has taken God’s place, five writers
in nine essays tackle the question by United Church moderator Bill
Phipps: “How are we to live in community without, in the process,
destroying the earth?” They reconnect economics and politics with
spirituality. Carefully choosing biblical pronouncements, the writers
stress “care” for the earth, rather than its subduing, and pave the
way for an economy of justice and compassion: “no one in this world
need ever go hungry or fear for their future.” Just as Jesus served
notice to the powers that be that their way is not God’s way, this
book represents the United Church’s resolve to challenge globalization
and change the spiritually bankrupt system of “winners” or
“losers” in which private profit eclipses public good.

Chapter deals 1 with the technical aspects of the United Church
moderator’s consultation on faith and the economy. It is driven by the
model of Jesus’ radical faith (a faith for which He was executed), but
falls far short of being “radical.” Chapter 2, which addresses the
relevance of the United Church of Canada, argues that the church
consistently applied a “social gospel critique of capitalism”; the
author concludes that the church still has a mission, both at home and
abroad, but he forgets to mention that it was another church that paved
the way for globalization.

Chapter 3 focuses on Canada. Its statistical analysis reveals
inequalities and problems throughout society. Canadian business leaders
identify sentiments of compassion, helplessness, self-interest, and
sensitivity to the effects of rural depopulation and urban crowding.
Chapter 4 seeks the common good but for the most part rehashes all the
problems that plague the world because of globalization. Chapter 5
presents a dialogue between concerned groups and global businesses, and
urges the latter toward a position of responsibility and accountability.
Chapter 6 examines the pathology of unsustainable economy and offers a
biblical and anthropocentric solution, while Chapter 7 lists activities
guaranteed to discombobulate the globalizing mentality.