{"id":33231,"date":"2023-10-23T11:00:29","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T18:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=33231"},"modified":"2023-10-08T18:32:01","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T01:32:01","slug":"haves-and-have-nots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/haves-and-have-nots\/","title":{"rendered":"Haves and Have-Nots"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many agree that in the realm of economic and social thought, Karl Polanyi’s seminal work, “The Great Transformation,” has left an indelible mark. Although awed by his incredible level of intellect, that mark<\/em> for me will be, well, delible<\/strong> and unremarkable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Published in 1944, this exhaustive (!) work explores the complex interplay between economic systems, society, and human nature. While Polanyi’s perspective is often seen as secular, it is fascinating to examine his ideas through the lens of evangelical Christianity, which has been a consistent theme for most of this doctoral semester. Evangelical Christianity holds a unique understanding of human dignity, community, and the divine.<\/p>\n

Christians view the world through a spiritual lens, believing that God is the ultimate source of all creation, including the economic system developed by God’s created humanity. Polanyi’s idea of a “great transformation” somewhat aligns with the Christian belief in God’s sovereignty and His ability to transform individuals and societies. From this perspective, economic systems are not just human constructs but are also subject to a certain degree of divine guidance and intervention. Intellectually I believe this, and yet one can see where humanity (and sin) have messed up these systems and societies considerably and compoundedly.<\/p>\n

Polanyi argued that the market economy, if left unchecked, can lead to the commodification of everything, including labor, land, and even human relationships. Biblical teaching echoes this with the concept of stewardship. In the Christian worldview, humans are called to be stewards of God’s creation, which includes caring for one another and the environment. In God’s “economy” we ought to prioritize the well-being of individuals and communities over maximizing profit.<\/p>\n

Dr. Clark recognizes this in saying “Polanyi sees a move from a Christian society with a responsibility to others, which limited the effects of markets, ultimately replaced by a turn to the self that \u201crenounces human solidarity\u201d with the development of the \u201csecular religion\u201d of the market. Polanyi\u2019s account can be seen as providing many implicit theological contours in its diagnosis and implications. It maps out where markets become the site of identity, belonging, and being for people, replacing previous religious affiliations and commitments”<\/em> (Clark, 135).<\/p>\n

The above observation from Dr. Clark’s dissertation is rooted in chapter 8 of “The Great Transformation” in which Polanyi says “The traditional unity of the Christian society was giving place to a denial of responsibility on the part of the well-to-do for the condition of their fellows” (Polanyi, 106). In other words: \u00a0The haves<\/strong> have forgotten the have-nots<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Christian faith (when expressed correctly, that is) places a high value on each person’s inherent worth and dignity, as they are believed to be created in the image of God. Consequently, Christians are deeply concerned about economic structures that devalue or exploit individuals. In “The Great Transformation” Polanyi critiques the commodification of labor, where human beings are treated as mere factors of production. As such, Christians ought to advocate for dignified work conditions, just wages, and fair treatment of workers, because these principles are rooted in the biblical mandate to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Mark 12:30-31).<\/p>\n

From a Christian perspective, economic systems should promote human flourishing within the context of loving, supportive communities. This aligns with Polanyi’s concerns about the destructive impact of unregulated markets on our social bonds, human dignity, and compassion – all values that are central to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Dr. Clark’s expansive work on evangelicalism and capitalism does much to move these important topics forward with thoughtfulness and intellectual prowess.<\/p>\n

Christianity (again, if expressed correctly),<\/strong> has the power to\u00a0promote a more just and compassionate society that reflects the teachings of Jesus, as well as advocate for policies that prioritize human dignity, community, and the common good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Acts 10, Peter had an encounter with Cornelius, who, along with the Holy Spirit, helped correct Peters view of the “haves and have-nots.”<\/strong> After being challenged to expand his heart and the church to “the others” it says:<\/p>\n

“Then Peter began to speak: \u201cI now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism<\/strong><\/span> but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.<\/span> You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.<\/span> You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached\u2014<\/span> <\/em>how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all<\/strong> who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him”<\/em> (Acts 10:34-38 NIV).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

God does not show favoritism.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jesus went around doing good and healing all.<\/strong><\/p>\n

All.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let that truth leave an indelible<\/strong> mark upon your life, and may it bring about Great Transformation<\/strong> in our time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many agree that in the realm of economic and social thought, Karl Polanyi’s seminal work, “The Great Transformation,” has left an indelible mark. Although awed by his incredible level of intellect, that mark for me will be, well, delible and unremarkable. Published in 1944, this exhaustive (!) work explores the complex interplay between economic systems, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2310],"tags":[467,4,1446],"class_list":["post-33231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-doctor-of-leadership-3","tag-clark","tag-polanyi","tag-transformation","cohort-dlgp02"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33231"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33255,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33231\/revisions\/33255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}