Religion and Economics: Normative Social Theory

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

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2. Introduction

   1. Introduction

      • James M. Dean, A. M. C. Waterman

      Pages 3-9

3. Case Studies

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 11-11

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   2. How Through Economics Rabbinic Judaism States its Theory of the Social Order

      • Jacob Neusner

      Pages 13-32

   3. The Uses of Economics in Papal Encyclicals

      • Andrew M. Yuengert

      Pages 33-50

   4. Social Thinking in Established Protestant Churches

      • A. M. C. Waterman

      Pages 51-67

   5. Liberation Theology and Economics

      • Thomas L. Schubeck

      Pages 69-84

   6. Every Square Inch

      • John P. Tiemstra

      Pages 85-98

   7. Economics and Evangelicalism

      • Kim Hawtrey

      Pages 99-112

4. Interpretative Essays

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 113-113

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   2. Social Factors in Religion and Economics

      • James M. Dean

      Pages 115-122

   3. Economics, Ethics, and Knowledge

      • Sheila C. Dow

      Pages 123-130

   4. Economics and Religion

      • Kenneth G. Elzinga

      Pages 131-139

   5. “If the Trumpet Does Not Sound a Clear Call…”

      • Paul Heyne

      Pages 141-151

   6. Economics and Technology

      • Fred S. McChesney

      Pages 153-163

   7. On Doing the Impossible

      • Ian Steedman

      Pages 165-173

   8. Summary If Not Conclusions

      • James M. Dean, A. M. C. Waterman

      Pages 175-183

5. Back Matter

   Pages 185-205

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Normative Social Theory James M. Dean and A. M. C. Waterman University of Manitoba 1. Economics and Religion Once Again This hook is a sequel to Economics and Religion: Are They Distinct? (Brennan and Waterman 1994). That volume was motivated by a frustration born of many disappointing encounters between economists and theologians in the 1980s. Can bishops, synods, and other voices of organized religion bring any interesting (and disinterested) contribution to the public policy debate? If so, what is the relation of their contribution to that of the purely "secular" knowledge economists believe they can supply? Can economists bring any interesting (and disinterested) contribution to the public policy debate? If so, what is the relation of their contribution to the fundamental values that inform social ethics and that are still guarded to a large extent by religious tradition? All too often the two sides talked at cross-purposes. Well-intentioned economists coexisted for a few hours or days with well­ intentioned theologians whose manner of conceiving social reality was radically incompatible with their own. There seemed to be no common ground. The first requisite of any genuine conversation is an agreed conceptual framework that is able to accommodate the peculiar social vision both of the economist and of theologian, and to display the logical relation between the two.

• ETA
• economics
• ethics
• knowledge
• liberation theology
• religion
• social theory
• state
• technology

• Department of Economics, St. John’s College, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

  James M. Dean, A. M. C. Waterman

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