The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics

This collection of essays explores the teachings of various religions on economic morality. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics reveals a remarkable convergence among these faiths.

This innovative collection of essays examines and compares the teachings of various world and regional religions regarding economic morality. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics presents, for the first time, key tenets and teachings from numerous faiths on this critical subject. It explores how different religions address various social, business, and policy topics, including consumerism, competition, ecology, and feminism, providing a comprehensive overview of their positions on economic ethics.

The Handbook concludes with an analytical synthesis that highlights the patterns emerging from the various religions and themes discussed throughout its chapters. It emphasizes a symbiotic relationship between religion and economic life, illustrating how each enriches the other. On one hand, religious teachings can enhance the efficiency of economic activities by promoting norms of good conduct among market participants. Conversely, socioeconomic life often encourages adherents to deepen their religious commitments, as they seek to navigate the enticements and challenges presented by the market.

Readers will find a remarkable convergence in the teachings of different religions on economic morality, despite their diverse dogmas and practices. This convergence stems from shared underlying anthropologies and cosmologies, revealing that major faiths often hold more common values than differences when it comes to economic ethics. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics ultimately offers a rich exploration of the interplay between faith and economic behavior.