Subverting Greed: Religious Perspectives on the Global Economy

Subverting Greed: Religious Perspectives on the Global Economy seeks to provide an ethical compass based on multi-religious insights that will stimulate dialogue and act as a counterweight to traditional economic texts that are sometimes blind to the human dimension hidden beneath theories and formulas. At a time when religion, in its fanatical, dangerously closed form has enabled acts of terrible destruction, interfaith partnerships among religious believers working for a better world are more important than ever. This book compiling scholars from seven religious’ traditions: Ifi Amadiume does so from an African Igbo perspective, Swami Agnivesh from a Hindu, David Loy from a Buddhist, Zhou Qin from a Confucianist, Norman Solomon from a Jewish, Sallie McFague from a Christian, and Ameer Ali from a Muslim perspective. Paul F. Knitter introduces the book and provides a Christian perspective on these matters, and Chandra Muzaffar offers concluding reflections.

As this book indicates, religious traditions feel that they might be able to offer the kind of help that cannot be found, or cannot be delivered, anywhere else. This is not to say that the religions are presenting themselves as the saviors of the poor and the redeemers of the economy. If economic salvation is going to come, it will be the result of many different people and powers working together. But perhaps the contribution of the religions is an important, if not essential, ingredient in that cooperative mix. As the essays in this book make clear, the religions do feel that they offer wisdom and experience thar is absolutely essential for any economic system to function and to achieve what most economic systems include among their fundamental goals: the well-being of everyone. But wisdom and values, it seems to many, have not played a role in the global economy as we know i¢ such wisdom is either not present in the global system, or it is not able to function, or it is not taken seriously by policy makers and business. For the sake of the poor and the many who are not receiving the benefits of the burgeoning global market economy, the religions want to help.