CWM

Living out the Accra Confession - Reclaiming a theology of God's Economy

Friday, 19 May 2006 01:00

Reclaiming a theology of God's Economy

The Accra Confession's great challenge for churches in our time is to reclaim the true theological and biblical meaning and activities of economy (oikonomia), from the way it has been distorted, indeed poisoned, by the modern neo-liberal economy. Theological concepts such as trust, riches, fidelity, bond, exchange, saving, fiduciary, even business - in Chinese (Seng Yi) literally 'meaning of life' - have been co-opted by the dominant neo-liberal economy, and must be reclaimed or rescued by the churches. The neo-liberal global economy, an economic system based primarily on individual accumulation of wealth and property, is claiming total and hegemonic control over all of life, "demanding an endless flow of sacrifices from the poor and the Earth" (AC 10). The Accra Confession has stated very clearly that "in biblical terms such a system of wealth accumulation at the expense of the poor is seen as unfaithful to God and responsible for preventable human suffering and is called Mammon" (AC 14).

As churches we must reclaim the theological idea that the economy of God is in direct contradiction to the current neo-liberal economy. God's oikonomia is located within God's good earth (oikonomene) and God's all-encompassing household (oikos), which is no less than the whole lovely earth and the vast interconnected cosmos. It is God, not the market, who ultimately shapes the form and direction of the world, including economic activities.

God's oikonomia, in direct contradiction to the dominant neo-liberal economy:

• Is a participatory economy which is life-enhancing and life-centred,
• Promotes a solidarity economy of justice and sharing to ensure that all people have fullness of life,
• Ensures that there is no poverty and no inequality,
• Advocates participatory practices and values leading to equitable and sustainable mechanisms and governance for production, trade and finance,
• Emphasises that compassion, grace, love and justice are God's economic measures,
• Recognises the limits of extraction of natural resources and promotes ecological integrity
• Celebrates and builds-up communities that are centred on the sharing of goods, ensuring justice for all.

This is the churches' task to reclaim a theology of life sustaining wholeness.