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The Body of Christ in a Market Economy

An Anglican Inquiry into Economic Thinking

by Gawain de Leeuw (Author)
©2019 Monographs X, 216 Pages

Summary

Holy Scripture and economists have distinct ways of exploring market networks. The Body of Christ in a Market Economy explains how desire connects scripture, economics, theological anthropology, and soteriology. By explaining the mechanics of desire and Jesus’ saving grace, it becomes possible for churches and congregations to better align their networks for the common good within market economies. Rivalry is an expense. Follow Jesus or prepare to spend.

Table Of Contents


Gawain de Leeuw

The Body of Christ
in a Market Economy

An Anglican Inquiry
into Economic Thinking

image
PETER LANG

New York • Bern • Berlin

Brussels • Vienna • Oxford • Warsaw

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: De Leeuw, Gawain, author

Title: The body of Christ in a market economy: an Anglican inquiry into economic thinking / Gawain de Leeuw.

Description: New York: Peter Lang, 2019.

Series: Studies in Episcopal and Anglican theology, vol. 10

ISSN 2168-3891 (print) | ISSN 2168-3905 (online)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018044980 | ISBN 978-1-4331-2848-6 (hardback: alk. paper)

ISBN 978-1-4539-1747-3 (ebook pdf) | ISBN 978-1-4331-6173-5 (epub)

ISBN 978-1-4331-6174-2 (mobi)

Subjects: LCSH: Economics—Religious aspects—Christianity.

Economics—Religious aspects—Anglican Communion.

Classification: LCC BR115.E3 D355 2019 | DDC 261.8/5—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018044980

DOI 10.3726/978-1-4539-1747-3

Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data are available
on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/.

© 2019 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York

29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006

www.peterlang.com

All rights reserved.

Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,

xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.

About the author

Rev. Dr. Gawain de Leeuw, OA, is the rector of St. Bartholomew’s Church in White Plains, New York. He is a life professed member of the Order of the Ascension, a dispersed Benedictine community. He serves on the Task Force on the Theology of Money for the Episcopal Church.

About the book

Holy Scripture and economists have distinct ways of exploring market networks. The Body of Christ in a Market Economy explains how desire connects scripture, eco-nomics, theological anthropology, and soteriology. By explaining the mechanics of desire and Jesus’ saving grace, it becomes possible for churches and congregations to better align their networks for the common good within market economies. Rivalry is an expense. Follow Jesus or prepare to spend

Praise for The Body of Christ in a Market Economy

"Gawain de Leeuw offers us a tutorial in modern economics in dialogue with theological themes rooted as deep as the foundation of the world. This is no small feat, and he brings it all home with a suite of practical applications suitable to church structures as intimate as the parish and as encompassing as the Communion."

Tobias Stanislas Haller, BSG, Church of the Advent, Baltimore

"In one of the more obscure sayings attributed to Jesus in the gospels, ‘the parable of the dishonest manager,’ Jesus warns his disciples that ‘the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the sons of light’ (Luke 16:8). One possible reading of this parable is that it criticizes the followers of Christ for their lack of sophistication in matters of money, stewardship, and economics, or perhaps, for failing to love God even as much as the wicked love riches.

"If it is read carefully, perhaps this new book by the Rev. Gawain de Leeuw could help remedy this weakness.

"Ambitious and expansive, de Leeuw takes aim at faith that remains uninformed by economic theory. But he offers much more than a dry discussion of ‘economics.’ This is a call for the Body of Christ to rethink money, markets, community and work from the ground up. And it is a practical guide to changing the way we engage with the world."

Matthew Baldwin, Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Mars Hill College

"There’s always call for a fresh book explaining how it’s possible people can remain faithful followers of Jesus within the capitalist economic system. Gawain de Leeuw’s work steps up to the challenge with wisdom, brio and cutting-edge anthropology. Filled with insights, his study wrestles over and over with the aporias separating the reckless giving of the gospel from a market system based in debt, exchange and commodification, or between the relationship of love modeled by Jesus and the fetterless desire and rivalry modeled by money. The fact that capitalism has proven the best way of increasing productivity while satisfying endless wants does nothing to lessen the othering and exploitation at its heart. Gawain offers us the church’s dream of the sabbath as antidote, a time and place where competition and inexhaustible demand are replaced by rest, community, and blessing. But how can the church enable this practically? He suggests the successful management of rivalry as the core church practice, through sacraments, prayer, good governance, and cooperative networks. But perhaps the most radical impact of de Leeuw’s work is to continue to knead the leaven of the gospel into our economic worldview until the times really do catch up with Jesus. As he vividly puts it, ‘By ingesting Jesus, (we are given) the power to reconsider the game, the rat race, the system of materialism that creates a status war with others.’"

Anthony Bartlett

This eBook can be cited

This edition of the eBook can be cited. To enable this we have marked the start and end of a page. In cases where a word straddles a page break, the marker is placed inside the word at exactly the same position as in the physical book. This means that occasionally a word might be bifurcated by this marker.

Acknowledgments

This book is the product of twenty years of steady reading on economics, mimetic theory, and sociology. I’d like to thank a few of those who have provided invaluable support along the way.

My brother Kabir de Leeuw for listening to me talk for years.

Anthony Bartlett, Matthew Baldwin, Tobias Haller, Katy Herron, Sam Jackson, Tom Nichols, Gary Perscesepe, Joyce Schroeder, Joseph Shepley, Mark Usher, Jesica Vega, and Ashley Warner, either read or cheered.

My brothers and sisters of the Order of the Ascension inspired me to connect Benedict, Martin Thornton, and economics.

Thank you to Bianca Cappellini, Tiffany Card, Noelle Damico, Joel Daniels, John Denson, Andy Dietsche, Greg Dvorak, Neil Dvorak, Brad Dyche, Cornelius Eady, Jennifer Flowers, Michael Gecan, Meredith Garmon, Jeffrey Geary, Mary Glasspool, Colin Goundry, Margret Grebowicz, Helena Gronberg, Leigh Hall, Jonathan Huyck, Dawne Moon, Matthew Moretz, Andrea Meyges, Sarah Micklem, Clara Mun, Christopher Oldi, Daniel Radosh, Allen Shin, Devin Singh, Jim Steen, Jeffrey Taylor, Elizabeth Werner, Frederick Wherry, and who all supplied me with data, support and encouragement.

Thank you to Ellen Wondra and Bill Burrill, each mentors in faith. Charles Mathewes offered suggestions and kept me reading.←vii | viii→

The Lilly Foundation gave me time to rest. The Luce Foundation had great expectations.

Rabbi Geoff Mitelman and Sinai and Synapses gave me the opportunity to learn about the intersection of science and religion.

Charles Henderson and Auburn Seminary was where this project began to find words, and especially Ivan Petrella, Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty, Hannah Holfheinz, and Jennifer Leath, who each offered useful suggestions.

Thank you to the members of the Union Vision Team: Jason Ferris, John Flack, Melissa Hinnen, Julie Hoplamazion, Amy Kienzle, Cheri Kroon, Sara McCaslin, Eric Mull, Drew Paton, Sara Searight, Arden Strasser, Adrien Thorne, Seth Wax, Chris Shelton, Linda Taryy-Chard, Jane Huber, and Serene Jones.

The members of St. Bartholomew’s Church supported this long project with their endurance and patience. The White Plains Religious Leaders received regular updates.

Details

Pages
X, 216
Year
2019
ISBN (ePUB)
9781433161735
ISBN (PDF)
9781453917473
ISBN (MOBI)
9781433161742
ISBN (Hardcover)
9781433128486
DOI
10.3726/978-1-4539-1747-3
Language
English
Publication date
2019 (November)
Published
New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Vienna, Oxford, Wien, 2019. X, 216 pp.

Biographical notes

Gawain de Leeuw (Author)

Rev. Dr. Gawain de Leeuw, OA, is the rector of St. Bartholomew’s Church in White Plains, New York. He is a life professed member of the Order of the Ascension, a dispersed Benedictine community. He serves on the Task Force on the Theology of Money for the Episcopal Church.

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