The Church on Capitalism

Since the onset of the global economic crisis, everyone has a view on how to fix capitalism -- everyone, it seems, except the Church of England. Given the widespread diagnosis of moral malaise in the marketplace, one might have expected the established religion of the UK to provide more leadership. In spite of its quietness in recent public debate, the Church in fact has a lot to say on the matter. Eve Poole examines the formal views and actions of the Church of England in the run up to the financial crisis, as well as the arguments of leading Church of England bishops, academics and business people. She highlights the richness and distinctiveness of the arguments emanating from the Church with regard to capitalism and the market, but also points to some flaws, gaps and significant silences. Poole urges the Church to stand up and be counted in taking its proper place in re-shaping the global economy. She also offers theologians a new framework for engaging in public theology. This book is an indispensable guide to the thorny issues in respect of morals and the market. Students and scholars of theology, as well as economists and business people concerned with the wider ethical repercussions of their work, will be excited to discover a unique and sagacious voice above the mud-slinging that has characterized the mainstream of contemporary comment on the credit crunch.