Having: Property and Possession in Religious and Social Life by William Schweiker


Having: Property and Possession in Religious and Social Life
Title : Having: Property and Possession in Religious and Social Life
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 0802824846
ISBN-10 : 9780802824844
Language : English
Format Type : Paperback
Number of Pages : 415
Publication : First published April 1, 2004

Editor) Property and Possession in Religious and Social Life Trade paperback, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company 2004 English 415 pages 0802824846 9780802824844 In today's market economies, people constitute much of their identity in relation to the things they possess, and communities facilitate social intercourse and survival by means of property relations. What, if anything, might the study of the biblical religions contribute to thinking about and responding to the basic reality of "having"? In this book scholars in a variety of fields -- theology, ethics, economics, and biblical studies -- address in new and penetrating ways the meaning of "having" in religious and social life and offer a number of compelling answers to challenging questions about property and possession in our present, global age

Having: Property and Possession in Religious and Social Life Reviews

  • W. Littlejohn<span class=

    This bold editorial undertaking by theological ethicists William Schweiker and Charles Mathewes sought to bring theologians, ethicists, and economists from many different disciplines into conversation around the topics of property and possession--a noble goal, but one, like most books of this sort, rather imperfectly realized. Although apparently the various essays were presented together at a colloquium, and the authors were given the opportunity to dialogue, little of that shows in this collection, where the essays, written on very different topics from very different perspectives, rarely enter into meaningful conversation with one another, or attempt to together present a coherent and mutually-reinforcing picture. There are some exceptions, of course (in particular Arjo Klamer's essay near the end, "The Moral Economy of Ownership," self-consciously sought to bring the various perspectives together), but they were exceptions, not the rule.

    Some essays proved excellent and interesting, even when I did not agree with them, others proved rather tiresome even when I did agree with them, while some were on topics sufficiently alien to my interest that I didn't read them (though I think I read about 3/4 of them). All this to say, it's a worthwhile collection, but a mixed bag.

    That's all I was going to say, and I was only going to give it three stars, until I read the final essay, "Economies of Grace," by Kathryn Tanner. Wow. Rarely have I read an essay that left me speechless--this one did. One of the best essays in theological ethics I've ever encountered, and I'm not even at all sure that she's right--about the theology or the ethics, for that matter. Even if she's not, though, it was beautiful. And deep. And dense. And yet clear and eloquent. I understand she's got a whole book, Economy of Grace, which must be an expanded version of this extremely-densely-packed essay. I'm sure to be buying it, and you should too.