“We have created new idols,” the Pontiff said in 2013, according to the Guardian. “The worship of the golden calf of old has found a new and heartless image in the cult of money and the dictatorship of an economy which is faceless and lacking any truly humane goal.”
Three new books, including one centered on Pope Francis, examine capitalism; its impact on the economy and society and what it could mean for both religion and religious people.
This Economy Kills: Pope Francis on Capitalism and Social Justice by Andrea Tornielli and Giacomo Galeazzi (Liturgical Press, Aug. 15; ISBN 978-0-8146-4725-7) features two respected journalists’ exploration of Pope Francis’s teaching on the topics of capitalism and social justice - convictions which have been labeled by critics as Marxist.
At the Altar of Wall Street: The Rituals, Myths, Theologies, Sacraments, and Mission of the Religion Known as the Modern Global Economy by Scott W. Gustafson (Eerdmans Publishing Company, Oct. 1; ISBN 978-0-8028-7280-7) presents evidence that the economy functions in our current global culture as religions have functioned in other cultures. The book also looks at rituals, pilgrimage sites, myths, prophets, sacraments, and mission economics to argue that the economy is our de facto God.
The Year Without a Purchase: One Family’s Quest to Stop Shopping and Start Connecting by Scott Dannemiller (Westminister John Knox Press, Aug. 1; ISBN 978-0-6642-6068-2) follows two former Christian missionaries and their fight against consumer culture. After distinguishing needs from wants, the pair and their children find true joy in shopping less and living more.
Each of the three titles provides an analysis of the economy within a religious context. The newfound trend is perhaps an indicator of where capitalism is headed and what readers are craving.
