Justice Not Greed, a book addressing the international economic crisis, has been released by the publishing arm of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and is widely available through Amazon.
Edited by Pamela Brubaker and Rogate Mshana, Justice Not Greed is an anthology of articles by 14 leading Christian economists, theologians, ethicists and sociologists dealing with recent failures of the world’s financial structures.
The authors are members of the WCC's advisory group on economic matters.
The 224-page book provides economic analysis as well as biblical commentary and moral reflection.
Rogate Mshana, co-editor of the anthology and director of the WCC program on Justice, Peace and Creation, explained the goal of the advisory group in preparing this volume: “The aim of publishing this book is to encourage individuals, students, churches and other communities of faith to analyze, reflect and act to find solutions. The current financial and economic systems have failed to solve the terrible problems of inequality, poverty and ecological destruction. Far from dealing effectively with today’s challenges, they have aggravated these problems.”
He continued, “Some churches have lost their assets in the current crisis, and many people have been deprived of their homes, life savings and livelihoods.” But the issue for people of faith is larger than personal loss. “The current system remains hugely unjust, and it is imperative for churches to address this problem.”
Justice Not Greed concludes with an official WCC policy statement on “Just Finance and the Economy of Life.” In this document, the Council’s central committee looks forward in hope “to a situation where an ethical, just and democratic global financial architecture emerges and is grounded on a framework of common values: honesty, social justice, human dignity, mutual accountability and ecological sustainability. It should also account for social and ecological risks in financial and economic calculation; reconnect finance to the real economy; and set clear limits to, as well as penalize, excessive and irresponsible actions based on greed.”
The WCC’s book publishing arm is headed by the Rev. Theodore Gill, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister.