Money as God?: The Monetization of the Market and its Impact on Religion, Politics, Law, and Ethics

Description

The nature of money and its impact on society has long interested scholars of economics, history, philosophy, law, and theology alike, and the recent financial crisis has moved these issues to the forefront of current public debate. In this study, authors from a range of backgrounds provide a unified examination of the nature and the purpose of money. Chapters cover the economic and social foundations of money; the historical origins of money in ancient Greece, China, the ancient Middle East, and medieval Europe; problems of justice connected to the use of money in legal systems and legal settlements, with examples both from ancient history and today; and theological aspects of monetary and market exchange. This stimulating interdisciplinary book, with its nontechnical and lively discussion, will appeal to a global readership working in the interfaces of economics, law and religion.

Jurgen von Hagen is Professor of Economics at the University of Bonn, Germany, and a member of the German Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on monetary and macro-economics. As a Protestant preacher, he also has a keen interest in theology and its intersection with economics. Michael Welker is Senior Professor for Systematic Theology at the University of Heidelberg, He is a member of the Heidelberg Academy of Science and Humanities and a corresponding member of the Finnish Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has held guest-professorships at numerous universities, including Princeton Theological Seminary, Harvard Divinity School and Cambridge Divinity School. He is the author or editor of around fifty books.