Economic theory and practice has long emphasised the importance of growth, efficiency and profit. This thinking suggests that a mark of a thriving economy is continued financial growth. However, this overarching aim does not meet the challenges of the 21st century, including our current climate crisis and increasing economic inequality.
We believe that there needs to be a radical rethinking of the way the economy is organised, which puts social and environmental well-being at the centre. The pursuit of economic growth at all costs is driving ecological destruction, causing dangerous levels of climate change, devastation of land, massive biodiversity loss, air and chemical pollution and ozone depletion. Our economy is embedded within the environment, which must be cared for if society is to thrive.
Pursuit of economic growth has also failed to curb structural unemployment, instead leading to soaring levels of inequality and an economy where most wealth is reaped by the richest 1%.
As Christians, we believe that Jesus came so that we may have life in all its fullness (John 10:10). To facilitate this and enable the flourishing of all life we need to rethink how we shape our economy. The Bible directly opposes earning wealth at another person’s expense (John 2:16) and teaches us to ensure that the poorest and most marginalised are cared for (Matt 19:21-26). Our work this year will delve deeper into these biblical themes to consider what the Bible says about our economy and how it is governed. Through this, we aim to help churches to wrestle theologically with the connections between the economy, the environment, and the flourishing of all life.
Find out more about our work on the economy here: