Christian ethics and political economy: Markers for a developing South Africa is an open-access book published by AOSIS.

The value-free and relativistic human and scientific discourses have led to an era of ideology. From fascism at the dawn of the century, through liberalism and the associated phenomenon of unfettered statism, to the current disillusionment of postmodernism and relativism with endeavours towards new mercantilism. All have maintained poverty, inequality and created scepticism amongst both lay persons and academics. Above all else a renewed yearning for moral and ethical direction in political and economic conduct has been created. This book provides a Christian ethical reflection on political-economic conduct in South Africa as an alternative to current modernistic ideas.

This book aims to produce new Christian ethical insight into the value of new liberal perspectives on the enhancement of the South African political economy. New Christian ethical insight will be gained through new perspectives on the South African political economy.

Copyright (c) 2020 Jan Charl Marthinus Venter, Morten Bøsterud (Volume editor)

Christian ethics and political economy: Markers for a developing South Africa analyses the difficult relation between Christian social ethics and modern economy within the context of South Africa. Many relevant and important aspects of the issue are discussed in differentiated investigations of the function of religion and religious ethics for political ethics. The focus of the debate lies in the complex situation in South Africa. Of central interest is the relevance of biblical ethics for economy, the use of capital in South Africa, as well as capitalism, gender equality, entrepreneurship, prosperity ethics, Pentecostalism and social identity. The nine chapters of the book together show a differentiated and thorough image from different positions in the question of how to relate ethics in modern economics. All authors deal with solutions for the destructive social consequences of modern capitalism, and they are convinced that bringing back an ethical foundation in political economy would change the economy. If this would happen, then the economy could bring more justice into society, with consequences for the poor. So, the book is a strong plea for an ethics-based economy, and for Christian social ethics and it relevance for the future development in South Africa.

Prof. Christian Danz, Institute of Systematic Theology and
Religious Studies, Protestant Theological Faculty,
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria