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William T. Cavanaugh's 'Economics And Christian Desire'

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Being consumed: Economics and Christian Desire is one of William T. Cavanaugh’s books that contains four very powerful chapters in which a person can truly understand and maybe even relate in some cases. It’s all very self-explanatory and insightful. It is a book that is easy to read and offers many different theological perspectives when it comes to economics. About the Author: Cavanaugh is a Roman Catholic theologian and he is someone who is very interested in theological ethics and that is why he takes on the four subjects he does in the four different chapters of his book. He takes things seriously and also helps offer a Christian alternative. He is obviously very passionate about trying to offer a Christian or theological perspective since it …show more content…

As I mentioned above, I think the main target market or people who would benefit from reading this book will be people who are interested in the comparison between theology and economics and also people who are looking for a concise theological response to North American consumerist society. Message of Author: I think the main message that Cavanaugh tries to get through to the reader is that Christians should consider their beliefs like; freedom, incarnation and the Eucharist and take it seriously and commit themselves to the transformation of the principles of the free market. I also think that Cavanaugh achieved what he wanted with writing this book and being able to help people understand the comparisons between theology and economics and he also helps people to be able to change their consumer habits in a way that is wiser. We are told that Economics is the science that studies of the resources that are scarce and hard to come by. The very basis of the market is all about trade, to give up something precious in order to receive another precious

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William T Cavanaugh (2008), wrote Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire which is a philosophical book, which focus on four (4) economic life matters that addresses the consumer culture within society. These four economic life matters are free market, consumerism, globalization and economic scarcity. In order for this topic to be discussed on a theological point of view, the author draws the reader’s attention to human life, the ends of life in God. The key question in every process is whether or not the transaction contributes to the flourishing of each person involved. In order to address these questions the author points to concrete examples of alternative economic practices in which Christians participate-: business, co-operatives, credit union, practices of consumption which marks the vision for Christian economic life.

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Greed, Stinginess and Foolishness: An Ultimate Path to Demise As said by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have” (http://www.goodreads.com /quotes/tag /greed) Socrates aimed this quote to show that greed cannot be quenched, which is one of the many traits portrayed by the main character in “The Devil and Tom Walker”, written by Romantic writer Washington Irving. This trait, among other, can characterize Tom Walker. Therefore, Tom walker can be characterized as Greedy, stingy and foolish. First Tom walker is a very greedy man.

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Charles G. Finney wrote Sinners Bound to Change their own Heart in or around 1836. The following is some background information on the time period and of Finney himself. In the early nineteenth-century there was a second Great Awakening. Finney held long meetings on revival in New York. He used very vivid and colorful language in his sermons.

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Freakonomics Essay Freakonomics is a mind bending, engaging and controversial look into a never before talked about side of economics. From relating the Ku Klux Klan to real estate agents and to why drug dealers are living with their moms Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner turn conventional wisdom on its head. As a whole I enjoyed the book, but there were some things that annoyed me and that I didn’t like and/or confused me. Freakonomics makes you think differently about topics you thought you already knew the answer to. To most with little knowledge of writing techniques they would not have noticed/comprehended the authors uses of rhetoric and tone but luckily from these past few years of English classes I was able to pick up and see

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To sell a product for true value or to sell it for a profit has always been a debate. In Document 4 by Thomas Aquino, a leading Scholastic Theologian depicts how

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Underpinnings and Effectiveness of Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth” In Andrew Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth”, Carnegie proposed a system of which he thought was best to dispose of “surplus wealth” through progress of the nation. Carnegie wanted to create opportunities for people “lift themselves up” rather than directly give money to these people. This was because he considered that giving money to these people would be “improper spending”.

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In his famous Cross of Gold speech, Bryan uses a religious element to discuss the labour theory of economics and to illustrate the moral decline of the government. The true Americans are the “hardy pioneers who have braved all the dangers of the wilderness, who have made the desert to blossom as the rose- the pioneers away out there who rear their children near to Nature’s heart”. Not the … “few financial magnates who, in a back room, corner the money of the world”(811). This is what Bryan considers a problem in the United States. The true businessmen, the farmers and miners, who use their God-given talents, muscle and brain, to create wealth are being overlooked by the capitalists who call themselves businessmen.

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There is a difference between being selfish and being greedy. The definition of greed is “Intense desire for something, especially wealth or power”, whereas the definition of selfish is “Lacking consideration for others”. During the Gilded Age, America was characterized as the Land of the Free, which attracted immigrants from all over the world to come live the American Dream. Was it greedy or selfish for these immigrants to come to America and improve their way of living? During the Gilded Age, greed is what motivated industrial innovation and for people to improve their ways of living.

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In the essay by Michael Sandel, from his book Markets and Morals, he explains how the free market is hurting families and taking over society. Sandel's purpose is to inform the reader on how money and markets are taking over our lives, becoming more important than morality, and hurting those who have less money. The purpose is shown all throughout the essay, and even in the first line when he says "There are some things money can't buy, but these days, not many," (Sandel 40). He further shows his purpose by discussing the Era of Market Triumphalism. Sandel made himself out to be intelligent and caring.

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He preaches a society of Community, Unity and Charity. These are very vital aspects a society that is quite isolated from the rest of the world needs to survive on its

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Statistics show that today there are over 1.7 billion members of the “consumer class”- half of them being in the developing world (2011, the World Watch Institute). Being part of the consumer class myself, I believe it is crucial to dispense a great deal of money on goods and services to improve the economy here in Canada. Does this mean I’m considered to be a consumer as a result of my views on world consumption? Yes, I fit into the category of a consumer due to the fact that I’m part of the endless cycle of supply and demand. From the moment I leave my house and walk the two minutes to the bus stop I’m already thinking about what I’m going to buy.

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Protestantism offers the concept of a worldly “calling” and also gives worldly activity a religious character. This implies to pursue profit but does not explain the need to. Weber argues that the spirit of modern capitalism views profit as an end in itself and pursuing profit as being noble and pure. He sees Calvinism as being the main source in explaining his

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In chapter two of “Christianity with Power,” Charles H. Kraft discusses the two types of realities: reality and REALITY. He describes “reality” as a human’s view of reality and “REALITY” as what is actually there (as God sees it). Kraft explains that our view of reality is fuzzy and partial compared to God’s view of REALITY. He uses the well-known story of the blind men and the elephant to prove that one’s perspective of the world differs from another. Kraft presents four alternative views of reality.

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