Cavanaugh's Being Consumed: Economics And Christian Desire

1387 Words6 Pages
Christian Desire. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.). Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire deals with what Cavanaugh refers to as “the basic matters of economic life”, which is the free market, consumerism, globalization, and scarcity, as he aims to change the reader’s views on each of these topics. Cavanaugh also gives his argument both for and against each of these matters, which are often characterized by stories or comparisons which make his arguments and points a little easier to understand and a little clearer. Cavanaugh also answers few questions such as, are we for or against the free market? Should we not think of ourselves as a consumer? Are we for or againt globalization? How do we live in a world of scarce resources? And finally, when is a market free? (Loc.8 and 14). Cavanaugh anwers and addresses these issues within the “four brief chapters” of his book. Thesis In the very beginning of Being Consumed, Cavanaugh states, “This book will be, I hope, a contribution to a kind of theological microeconomics. Rather than blessing or damning the ‘free market’ as such, I want to focus our attention on concrete Christian attempts to discern and create economic practices, spaces, and transactions that are truly free.” I feel that the preceding statement was Cavanaugh’s purpose and plan for his book, Being Consumed. I also believe that he has hit the nail on the head. I say this because he does not attack or condemn the free market in such