Faithfulness and the Dismal Science: An Economist Re-reads Rich Christians
Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach Monday, 1 September 2003
Ronald J. Sider: Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, 20th Anniversary Edition (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1997). 360 pp. $15.99.
I recently spoke to a group of globally-engaged young adults assembled for a conference on the theme of "Theology that Touches the Ground." My speech gave a basic background on international economics—why we trade with other countries, how trade disputes get resolved, what "Normal Trade Relations" means. I am well aware that even at their best economics lectures are often—how to put this delicately—rather dry, but nonetheless these attendees seemed very interested, even hungry, to learn about how to better integrate their faith with their economic lives. After my speech, I was peppered with questions from people struggling to think holistically about their faith but at a loss as to how they could go about thinking through the personal and political economic choices they face every day. Should one favor or oppose "globalization?" Is it better to buy fair-trade coffee? Does it harm children in the developing world if I run in Nike shoes? Should we trade with countries that violate human rights standards?
To read the entire article, please visit this article's page at informaworld, where articles are available for purchase from Routledge, our publishing partner.