Christianity and Capitalism: A Theological Exploration

1 credits · Divinity School

This course aims to understand capitalism and its operations as a theological and spiritual phenomenon. It will do so by, in the first part of the course, examining the intersection of our talk of God and our talk of economics, identifying how each circulates in the other. Key terms and semantic fields through which conceptions of economic life and divine-human relations intersect will be analyzed through drawing on scriptural, doctrinal, historical and social scientific material. Then, key theological responses that emerged at a particular point of intersection between a form of capitalism and a particular instantiation of 'world Christianity' within a specific context will be examined. Prerequisites: Christian Theology 755, Christian Ethics 757, and at least one Historical Theology course.