Economic Crisis & Faith

The current economic crisis under the spotlight of faith

In 2009 we became aware of the severity of the unfolding economic crises at international and local levels. Many people have had personal experience of the consequences; perhaps redundancy for someone in the family or among friends or simply the dramatic rise in the price of bread, cheese and other food items over the last year.

In every local community (city, rural area, workplace, congregation), there have been people affected by what is happening.

This study material, “The current economic crisis under the spotlight of faith”, considers some of the factors that have led to this international financial and economic crisis.

In the last year television channels and newspapers have given us endless commentaries by economists, bankers and politicians. This study material is an invitation to make a personal contribution both in the understanding the situation and how it might be changed. One way to move into this is for us to focus on the heart of affluence, not poverty, as we consider that it was affluence and greed that got us into this drastic situation in the first place.

  • International reactions

    International reactions to the urgency of the current economic crisisGordon Brown, PM of the UK, speaking immediately before the G20 Summit, March 2009“I want to suggest that this most modern more»

  • The spotlight of faith

    The current economic crisis under the spotlight of faithThe following four study outlines or sessions have been prepared to further understanding of the different events and processes leading up to more»

  • Session1: Getting Started

    Session One

    NOTE: Make time for a round of introductions and a basic outline of the total study material if this has not already been done at a preliminary meetingExercise One: What is happening in our world?It more»

  • Session 2:Different Aspects of Affluence

    Session Two

    Exercise One: Exploring the dynamic of investingMost of us have some experience of investing. Whether it be at a personal, family, institutional or government level, we have used whatever capital we more»

  • Session 3: In the Light of Faith

    Session Three

    Against the background of the material and reflections in Sessions One and Two we now turn to considering the implications of what we have learned in terms of our personal faith.1.Consider:Psalm more»

  • Session 4: Going Forward

    Session Four

    What kind of world do we want for our children and grandchildren?How to gather all we have read and learned in the previous sessions?Every person who has used this material, and every study group, more»

  • Resource Paper 1:Facilitators' Guide

    Resource 1

    In the event of a decision to use the Study material in a group, meeting perhaps over a succession of evening or afternoon meetings.TWO FACILITATORS WORKING TOGETHERIt is best to have two more»

  • Resource Paper 2: Affluence, the Affluent, and how it came to be so

    Resource 2

    "That which thoughtful rich people call the problem of poverty, thoughtful poor people call with equal justice the problem of riches". R.H.Tawney, "Equality"Affluence in New more»

  • Resource Paper 3: Global Trade and Manufacturing

    Resource 3

    Money, thou bane of bliss, and source of woe,Whence comest thou, that art so fresh and fine?I know thy parentage is base and low:Man found thee poor and dirty in a mine.George Herbert, 1593 - 1633In more»

  • Resource Paper 4: The World of Finance: Investments large and small

    Resource 4

    Money alone sets all the world in motion Publilius Syrus: Maxims, 1st Century BC Money makes the world go round…and, for some people, destroys their world. Sometimes, in the pursuit more»

  • Resource Paper 5: Debt and 'Structural Adjustment': the crisis continues

    Resource 5

     Beautiful credit! The foundation of modern societyMark TwainIn the 1970s, the huge surplus of money generated by an OPEC price hike certainly looked like beautiful credit to the governments of more»

  • Resource Paper 6: Affluence and Environment

    Resource 6

    In affluent countries like New Zealand, we spend an average day driving to work, we'll drink coffee in takeaway cups, throw away the packaging from the food we cook for dinner, empty the letterbox of more»

  • Resource Paper 7: The Accra Confession 2004

    Resource 7

     This was adopted by the delegates of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) 24th General Council in Accra, Ghana (2004), based on the theological conviction that the economic and more»