Description
In this issue…
… We review a host of new books, some by high-profile authors, in the area of faith and work. Eve Poole reviews Archbishop Justin Welby’s new (and first) book Dethroning Mammon; Jon Featherstone surveys Ken Costa’s new book on calling, Know Your Why; another new reviewer, Richard Noble, looks at Graham Turner’s God’s People and the Seduction of Empire; and Richard Higginson reports on Ted Lewis’s Theology and Disciplines of the Foreign Services. All four books are recommended enthusiastically. In addition, we report on two book launches: Edward Carter’s book about theology and enterprise and the Jubilee Centre report on money in the contemporary economy, Crumbling Foundations. 18:2 also includes substantial articles on matters of weighty concern. We are pleased to include pieces by experienced businessmen writing in FiBQ for the first time. Anthony Hodges expresses concern about the coming crisis in pension provision but the answer to his own question ‘Where is God in Pensions?’ is an emphatic yes. Gavin Oldham tells how reading a moving story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry as a young man led him to a life of making share ownership much more accessible to ordinary people. Meanwhile a regular contributor, David Parish, chips in with another of his fascinating historical articles, this one on a clergyman who was adept at relating faith to all types of work, George Herbert. His message is surprisingly relevant to our modern difficulty to relate our daily work to our faith. And German guest conributor Felix Breidenstein offers a far-reaching critique of the global economy, identifying seven capital sins, which are a sign of the radical discontent and possible social disruption of our times. He concludes by offering some positive proposals, largely by encouraging the church to be bolder in summoning companies to be accountable before God. Regular columnist Phil Jump takes a thoughtful look back over the momentous year of 2016. Both the articles by Felix and Phil raise the question of how we apply biblical principles to a post-Christian multi-cultural business environment. Is this feasible, and if so, how can it be achieved? Is it possible still to build an agreed foundation for business ethics and values? We would like to solicit further thinking on this issue. Do write in with your thoughts and ideas.
