Study Guide

Something's Wrong Somewhere:
Globalization, Community and
the Moral Economy of the Farm Crisis

Author: Christopher Lind and Gail Allan
Format: Paperback
Publish Date: 1996
Publisher: Fernwood Books Ltd website »

From A United Church of Christ Pronouncement on Christian Faith: Economic Life and Justice passed by General Synod 17 of the United Church of Christ in July 1989. Washington. D.C.: Office for Church in Society, October 1989.

We affirm that to be involved in the transformation of economic life is an authentic Christian calling. Christ calls the church to bear witness to God's sovereignty and presence among us. Christ calls us from the idolatries of greed and materialism to a full relationship with God, creation, and one another. Christ reveals God's suffering passion with the poor and uncovers God's reign of justice in our midst. In the practice of justice in the public economy, the covenant of the human household with God is fulfilled and God is worshipped. Economic justice in God's household includes the following dimensions. They provide a standard by which to measure contemporary economic systems, as well as a vision which can guide and inspire efforts to create greater economic justice in today's world.

1. A just economy celebrates and serves the fundamental covenant purpose of human life, which is to love God and neighbour. The laws of economics are ultimately accountable to the law of God's love. The rules of the marketplace are not autonomous but are accountable to God’s grace. Human beings do not live by bread alone. In view of the household God is seeking to create, the value of one's life is not measured by one's material possessions.

2. A just economy gives all persons access to the basic material necessities of life. When some people are excluded from the abundance of life which God intends for all persons, justice is denied. From its beginning the household of Jesus Christ has witnessed many evidences of injustice, including large numbers of people in need and great gaps between rich and poor.

3. A just economy builds and enhances human communities or dignity and well-being. Only in actual human communities are mutual interdependence and dignity recognized. Economic policy should therefore serve to protect and strengthen such community. In a just economy, the division of labour reflects our mutual interdependence and underscores the importance of the participation of all human beings in the community. According to the new covenant in Christ, all individuals are committed to the well-being of the human household as part of their commitment to God.

4. A just economy is inclusive, involving all able people in responsible, participatory and economically rewarding activity. Excluded from productive and meaningful work and from the means of life, neither the individual nor the community can survive. Hence in a just economy, no one is unfairly disadvantaged or excluded from productive activity. Economic decision-making should reflect the needs and participation of all members of the community.

5. A just economy encourages creativity, skill and diligence. Human productivity and a sense of vocation benefits all of society and provides a sense of accomplishment to individuals. The economic system should call forth the creative and creating nature of human beings.

6. A just economy assures equality of opportunity. Discrimination of any sort, whether based on such factors as race, class, age, ethnic origins, sexual orientation, physical disability, religion, or gender, contradicts the fundamental Christian affirmation of the equality and worth of all human beings. Discrimination denies the inclusiveness of the human community. When inequality and prejudice are embedded in societal and institutional processes, this constitutes a form of social sin. Justice requires a commitment to affirmative action and structural changes that redress the effects of discrimination, domination, and exploitation.

7. A just economy reflects God's passion for the poor and disadvantaged, enhancing the life opportunities of the poor, the weak, and groups at the margin of society. Indeed, in a truly just economy there will be no poor. Economic resources should be so distributed that all individuals are empowered to participate fully in the economic system. A just economy seeks continually to redress imbalances in wealth and power SO that the poor and weak can take control of their lives and shape their own future.

8. A just economy recognizes the integrity, fullness and sacredness of creation. Economic justice is understood to include environmental wholeness and an ethic that will ensure a sustainable future for the planet. Humanity is an integral part of an interrelated creation. To abuse, exploit and deplete resources or cause species’ extinction for economic gain violates the integrity of creation and, therefore, is an act of destruction. With time, there will likely be few survivors of major sustained ecological abuse.

9. A just economy acknowledges the dignity of human beings as made known in Jesus Christ, and guarantees the basic human rights necessary to maintain the sacredness or individuals. Human dignity involves the recognition of each person as a decision maker in the community, so that no one is deprived of an active voice. This means recognizing rights to political liberty and participation, and economic rights to food, shelter, and health care.

10. A just economy requires and promotes international peace and well·being. There is no genuine peace without justice, nor can there be justice without peace. In a just economy, the intent of production should center on improving the lives of all citizens and not on the proliferation of weapons.

From A United Church of Christ Pronouncement on Christian Faith: Economic Life and Justice passed by General Synod 17 of the United Church of Christ in July 1989. Washington. D.C.: Office for Church in Society, October 1989.

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