Transcending Greedy Money: Interreligious Solidarity for Just Relations (New Approaches to Religion and Power)

This major work offers an historical description and systematic analysis of the root causes of this global economic crisis, which the authors understand as a crisis of western civilization, and provides a comprehensive solution based on theological social justice. This Major Work Offers A Historical Description And Systematic Analysis Of The Root Causes Of This Global Economic Crisis, Which The Authors Understand As A Crisis Of Western Civilization. Secondly, They Assume (and Prove) That The Religions Of The Axial Age Were Shaped By The Suffering Of People, Deepened By The Emergence Of A New Economy - Based On Money, Private Property And Interest. They Assume That The Proven Convergence Of The Axial Age Religions In Responding To The Social, Psychological (and Already Ecological) Consequences Of The New Economy Can Inform, Motivate And Empower Faith Communities And Their Members To Join Hands With Social Movements Towards A New Personal And Collective Culture Of Life. In Part I They Show The Linkage Between The Contexts Of Antiquity And Modernity Concerning The Role Of Money, Private Property And The Related Structures And Mentalities Of Greed, Producing Suffering, And Psychological, Social And Ecological Destruction. They Show How Thereligions Of The Axial Age Responded To This Context In Similar Ways But With Interesting Specific Emphases. In Relation To Today's Situation We Also Raise The Question Of Psychological Hindrances To Change In The Different Social Classes, Affected By Neoliberalism, And How To Overcome Them. Before Drawing The Conclusions For Present-day Alliance-building Between Faith Communities And Social Movements For Alternatives To Neoliberal Globalization In Part Iii They Offer A Fundamental Critique Of The Ambivalence Of Modernity In Part Ii. Part 1 Foundations For A Relational Culture Of Life In The Axial Age: Resisting Death-bringing Ancient And Modern Civilizations -- 1 The Emergence And Development Of Division Of Labor, Money, Private Property, Empire, And Male Domination In Ancient And Modern Civilizations 9 -- 2 The Sociopsychological Effects Of The Money Civilization On The Different Classes 27 -- 3 The Judeo-christian Tradition In The Axial Age 45 -- 4 Buddhism In The Axial Age 73 -- 5 Islam, A Renewal Of Axial Age Spirituality 85 -- 6 Classical Greek Philosophy 91 -- Part 2 Critique Of Modernity And A New Critical Thinking -- 7 The Basic Characteristics Of Modernity: Functional Mechanisms, Efficiency, And The Trivialization Of The World 103 -- 8 The Irrationality Of The Rationalized: A Methodological Commentary On Instrumental Rationality And Its Totalitarian Character 119 -- 9 In The Face Of Globalization: The Return Of The Repressed Subject 151 -- 10 A Critical Theory And A Critique Of Mythical Reason 163 -- Part 3 Vision And Praxis Of Interreligious Solidarity For Life In Just Relations Today -- 11 The Vision Of Life In Just Relations 177 -- 12 Alternative Political Economy: Transformation Strategy And Praxis 205 -- 13 Interreligious Solidarity Practice For Life In Just Relations Today: A New Axial Age? 231. Ulrich Duchrow And Franz J. Hinkelammert. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [267]-301) And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction....Pages 1-6 Front Matter....Pages 7-7 The Emergence and Development of Division of Labor, Money, Private Property, Empire, and Male Domination in Ancient and Modern Civilizations....Pages 9-25 The Sociopsychological Effects of the Money Civilization on the Different Classes....Pages 27-43 The Judeo-Christian Tradition in the Axial Age ....Pages 45-71 Buddhism in the Axial Age....Pages 73-83 Islam, a Renewal of Axial Age Spirituality....Pages 85-90 Classical Greek Philosophy....Pages 91-96 Front Matter....Pages 97-102 The Basic Characteristics of Modernity: Functional Mechanisms, Efficiency, and the Trivialization of the World....Pages 103-117 The Irrationality of the Rationalized: A Methodological Commentary on Instrumental Rationality and Its Totalitarian Character....Pages 119-150 In the Face of Globalization: The Return of the Repressed Subject....Pages 151-161 A Critical Theory and a Critique of Mythical Reason....Pages 163-174 Front Matter....Pages 175-176 The Vision of Life in Just Relations....Pages 177-203 Alternative Political Economy: Transformation Strategy and Praxis....Pages 205-230 Interreligious Solidarity Practice for Life in Just Relations Today: A New Axial Age?....Pages 231-263 Conclusion....Pages 265-266 Back Matter....Pages 267-310 This major work offers first and foremost a historical description and systematic analysis of the root causes of the current global economic crisis, which the authors understand as a crisis of western civilization. Ulrich Duchrow and Franz J. Hinkelammert assume (and prove) that the religions of the Axial Age were shaped by the suffering of people, which was deepened by the emergence of a new economy based on money, private property, and interest. They show that the proven convergence of the Axial Age religions in responding to the social, psychological, and already ecological consequences of the new economy can inform, motivate, and empower modern faith communities and their members to join efforts with modern social movements towards a new personal and collective culture of life. Book jacket This major work offers an historical description and systematic analysis of the root causes of this global economic crisis, which the authors understand as a crisis of western civilization. Secondly, they assume (and prove) that the religions of the Axial Age were shaped by the suffering of people, deepened by the emergence of a new economy 6 based on money, private property and interest. They assume that the proven convergence of the Axial Age religions in responding to the social, psychological (and already ecological)