Biblenomics

How are we to understand the ways of the mammon? In dethroning mammon, Justin Welby gets to the crux of the argument. This is a fantastic book - an easy recommendation - and a worthy read for us all.

One of the most difficult questions facing Christians today is that of the proper attitude toward possessions. What should we do on behalf of the poor? What should we do with our own possessions?

The authors address an important topic - yet is the book’s conclusion that “continually producing more goods and services is the only route from poverty to prosperity” (p65) something we can support?

Justin Welby suggests that Mammon has a powerful, persuasive hold over our imaginations. Whilst Mammon preaches an economy of exchange and equivalence, God’s economy is built around abundant grace.

The theological framework for economic justice. According to God’s Word – he not only created the world, but he also orders it.

In the contemporary world, political ideas often develop into ideologies, or "isms", such as capitalism, liberalism, socialism or communism etc. The economy is often at the centre of these "isms".

Productive enterprises exist to serve others by providing goods and services, to enable human beings to exercise their calling to work productively, and to use resources wisely.

Putting too much weight on 'earning' as one of the purposes of work, the risk is to fail to hear God's calling for us. This pressure to earn precludes many possibilities of work for God's kingdom.

All wealth ultimately belongs to God – we are always stewards, never owners. The existence of poverty is the result of our individual and collective brokenness, not God’s failure to provide.

Lending and borrowing are key activities in any economic system. The Bible emphasises these transactions which demonstrates that they matter to God, and have been important throughout time.

Humans have been made with a purpose which includes work. Human life is valuable and one way it can be valued is through anticipated labour (expected productivity).

The command to love the neighbour, and humankind’s dominion over the created order: the relevance of higher-level Derived Social Principles.

The natural order is God’s good creation: it is abundant and fruitful. Looking at general principles behind the OT texts.