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Faith, Hope & the Global Economy

Reviewed by Terry Calkin.

My initial reaction upon reading the title of this book was, “Oh no, not another theologian pontificating on the ills of the capitalist system!” How wrong I was. Higginson’s thesis is a simple one. He believes that “The Christian faith can be a power for good in the global economy when it stimulates enterprise, reduces poverty, promotes integrity, encourages sustainability and fosters discipleship.”

Central to his thesis is the message of hope, a core, but often neglected, virtue of Christianity. He parallels the biblical story with the challenges of modern commerce and develops a convincing argument that Christian faith offers much to counteract the ills of the global economy.

This is a well researched book, written with balance and clarity and will be a worthwhile addition to any pastor’s library. My only criticism is that in one of the final chapters he indulges, in my opinion, in a rather woolly and utopian view of eschatology (and on page 71 Andhra Pradesh is spelled incorrectly).

It is otherwise an extremely readable, valuable and challenging tome.