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Less than two dollars a day : a Christian view of world poverty and the free market

Kent A. Van Til

Christian tradition demands basic sustenance for all as a human right. Yet contemporary capitalist economy makes no such demands, and the free market is not designed to provide basic sustenance. As Western Christians, how ought we to solve this conundrum? Kent Van Til maintains that the gulf between the two creates a need for an alternative system of distributive justice. Van Til looks at the realities of life in a free market system, including illuminating examples from his own experience in Latin America. He considers how contemporary capitalist economy has become the process that guides the distribution of goods around the world, and he examines the incapability of such a system to meet basic human needs in either ethics or economics. Once he exposes the problem, Van Til has no qualms about offering a solution. Drawing heavily on the ideas of political theorist Michael Walzer and nineteenth-century theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper, he proposes an alternative system of distributive justice, equalizing the claims to both burdens and benefits. Bridging biblical theology, political theory, economic history, and social theology, "Less Than Two Dollars a Day" issues a wake-up call to all who profess to 'love their neighbor as themselves'.

2007

xii, 180 p. ; 23 cm.

Distributing Earth's benefits and burdens -- Defining terms -- Using the free market as distributor -- Adam Smith (1723-1790) -- The legal presuppositions of capitalism -- Psychological presuppositions of capitalism -- Mainstream economics -- The free market and distributive justice -- Why the poor won't necessarily gain from the free market's distribution -- More free exchange need not result in more well-being -- The strategy of rational satisfaction of an individual's preferences will not necessarily yield the greatest good -- The free market takes initial endowments as givens -- Even markets functioning in a pareto optimal manner will not necessarily provide basic sustenance -- The economic concept of value is not responsive to the claim to basic sustenance -- The incomparability of needs and preferences -- Conclusion -- What the Bible says about poverty -- Creation -- The Exodus and distribution of land -- Covenant law -- Advocacy for the poor -- Jubilee -- The poor are always with you -- The need to work -- Shalom -- Equality -- Bridges -- Conclusion -- Moving from the Bible to the present -- Contemporary theologies -- Basic needs -- Rights and responsibilities -- Conclusion -- Distributing benefits and burdens according to "spheres" -- Distributive justice and contemporary theory -- Abraham Kuyper -- Michael Walzer -- David Miller's appropriation of Walzer -- Summary and synthesis of Kuyper, Walzer, and Miller -- What we can really accomplish -- Promising economic directions -- Objections -- Poverty and development.

Poverty -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

Free enterprise -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

Distributive justice -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

Wealth -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

Economics -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

Table of contents only http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip074/2006036410.html

Christian tradition demands basic sustenance for all as a human right. Yet contemporary capitalist economy makes no such demands, and the free market is not designed to provide basic sustenance. As Western Christians, how ought we to solve this conundrum? Kent Van Til maintains that the gulf between the two creates a need for an alternative system of distributive justice. Van Til looks at the realities of life in a free market system, including illuminating examples from his own experience in Latin America. He considers how contemporary capitalist economy has become the process that guides the distribution of goods around the world, and he examines the incapability of such a system to meet basic human needs in either ethics or economics. Once he exposes the problem, Van Til has no qualms about offering a solution. Drawing heavily on the ideas of political theorist Michael Walzer and nineteenth-century theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper, he proposes an alternative system of distributive justice, equalizing the claims to both burdens and benefits. Bridging biblical theology, political theory, economic history, and social theology, "Less Than Two Dollars a Day" issues a wake-up call to all who profess to 'love their neighbor as themselves'.

9780802817679

Grand Rapids, Mich. : William B. Eerdmans Pub., 2007.