Christianity and the Political Economy of Capitalism

Time to continue the ever-so-slow march towards the Masters degree...

I've signed up for a Summer School course at Regent College, and I'm really looking forward to it. Since Paul Williams came to Regent a couple of years ago I've heard him lecture a few times, and I've been waiting for a course like this to come along.

This course aims to explore the relationship between Christianity and capitalism. It will consider capitalism both as an economic system and as arguably the dominant ideology of our age. The course is designed to meet four major objectives for students:

1. To develop a deeper understanding of capitalist economic thought and its historical and ideological origins in both the Enlightenment and the Christian faith;
2. To appreciate how compelling the logic of capitalism is even in the face of the widespread criticism that has been directed at it in recent times;
3. To explore the ways in which capitalism functions ideologically in modern culture and as such seeks to colonize and influence all areas of culture, beyond the commercial realm, including the church, the family and the polity;
4. To consider and develop what a transformative engagement of the gospel with modern capitalism might be.

INDS 583: June 30-July 11, 8:30-11:00 am
2 or 3 graduate credit hours

For the keeners in the audience you can download the full syllabus and check out the extensive reading list.

Comments

[sonja]

completely jealous here on the east coast. just green. I should not have downloaded the syllabus.

[Wes]

...OK

...from someone who lives south of your border

...what's a keener?

[Mike]

Wes - Keeners are those enthusiastic students who, for example, always sit in the first 2 rows of the lecture hall. They're just a little too "keen"!

[jason smith]

hmmm...

this is one of those dangerous classes that takes one on a trajectory they never get off.

it is a topic lies below the surface of much that challenges our culture - consumerism, institutions, and the church at large. we're all capitalist pigs. and, the bible has none of it anywhere really. the system does not exist within its pages.

so, how do we pre-suppose jesus' ethic into it?

i'm sure you will have fun - especially considering how your off-wall street mind works.

[Tom Smith]

I would love to have some conversations with you when you're busy with the course. Maybe we can Skype?

[sonja]

LOL ... down here we call them "brown-nosers." But I think the hand motion is the same.

[Mike]

Jason - "off-Wall Street mind", I love it.

Sonja - We call them that here too.

Tom - I'd love to talk about it sometime. (This will give me a chance to finally get the headset our friend Wes has been bugging me about.)