Volf Embraces Economic Freedom

Traveling around in Emergent conversations, I frequently come across high praise for Miroslav Volf and particularly his book Exclusion and Embrace. (A book that I have "included" in my library but have not yet had the chance to "embrace.") For all the accolades he gets, I wonder if my Emergent friends have also read his book Work in the Spirit, in which he writes:

Since theological reflection on economic systems lies beyond the scope of this study (and beyond my competence), I can only state here my assumption that humanized work as I envisage it is best compatible with full-fledged political democracy and fairly consistent (though by no means unbridled) market economy. (169)

Hmmm….an Emergent icon embracing capitalism? I think he is risking exclusion here. :)

 

I know some will emphasize the "not unbridled" aspect of this, but isn't it curious that when we talk about "free speech" or "religious freedom," we don't feel compelled to always qualify it as "not the unbridled kind," yet when we talk about "economic freedom" we must always qualify and limit it. I know of very few people who equate "economic freedom" with no limits, any more than they mean no limits when talking about religious freedom's importance.

Comments

[Larry]

I suspect Volf had more than his fill of managed economies when he was growing up in what was Yugoslavia. I too find the reflexive leftism on economic matters in the emergent conversation to be somewhat disheartening. It is mainly driven by ignorance, Volf at least admits that he he is not qualified to judge on the matter, I wish other theologians would be so honest, or better yet, learn some economics. I swear that some of these guys think that the only thing standing between a worker in a third world shoe factory and a North American middle-class standard of living is the factory and if the factory went away everything would be just peachy. The really tragic thing is that free markets are probably the only thing that is going to lift the people in these countries out of poverty and we have elements within the church trying to stop it.

[Michael W. Kruse]

I suspect you are right concerning Volf’s context growing up. I also think that Emergent is overwhelmingly a theological/philosophical conversation that emphasizes the contemplative life over the active life. (Volf gets into this issue in his book) There is a long history of disdain for people who minister in commerce and trade by theologians and philosophers over the history of the church.

“I swear that some of these guys think that the only thing standing between a worker in a third world shoe factory and a North American middle-class standard of living is the factory and if the factory went away everything would be just peachy.”

Well said. I think what many rightly react against is materialism and consumerism. They see these value sets as indistinguishable from capitalism. Therefore, the condemn capitalism.

I find it remarkable that so many mainline pastors, and now Emergent types, will tell you that the Bible says more about possessions and wealth than any other topic. Fine. But then ask how many have ever taken even an economics 101 class?

[Virgil]

Hmmm….an Emergent icon embracing capitalism? I think he is risking exclusion here. :)

Apparently not a lot of emergents are reading him very well. Or could it be that all of us emergent folks (or whatever else we label ourselves) are still bound by limited economic understanding and outright ignorance when it comes to those complex issues?

[Michael W. Kruse]

"...still bound by limited economic understanding and outright ignorance when it comes to those complex issues?"

If that is the disease, then his “Work in the Spirit” is the cure. It is one of the best books I have read that wrestles with issues of spirituality and work.

I think the big challenge, as it appears to me, is that folks won't read it, or books like it, because they perceive "work" as a peripheral issue and not suitably spiritual enough to be worthy of their attention. Yet what was the vocation of humanity from the start? To fill the earth and “work the garden.” Work as it the very core of who we are. It is at the core of our spirituality.

Will still suffer greatly from the Greek image of the philosopher-king, speaking from atop Mt. Olympus, down to the dolts working in the fields and workshops. Only now the gymnasium has become the seminary.

[Dana Ames]

A point could be made to emergers about work being the *praxis* of huge chunk everyday living suffused with theology.

I think emergers are reacting to 1) all Christians being identified with Republicans and 2) greed, lack of concern for people, and "bottom line" mentality that is present with some practitioners of capitalism.

Dana

[Michael W. Kruse]

Volf writes about vita contemplativa and the vita activa. Throughout most of church history the VC was elevated above VA. The Enlightenment sought to place the VA on top and marginalize the VC.

Volf argues that neither belongs above the other but neither should they been seen as parallel. The exist side by side and they interpenetrate/ overlap each other, yet we can talk about them with distinction.

I agree about Emergents looking for praxis. What I sense is going on, unwittingly or not, is attempt to reassert the primacy of VC over VA lost in the Enlightenment, instead of restoring holistic balance. Their revolt against Republicanism and what they perceive as capitalism drives them to degrade the VA rather than redeem it. (And at the bottom of this is the reality that most have no clue what they mean by capitalism other than it is an ethereal label they ascribe to people operating in the economy with destructive ambitions.)

[Dana Ames]

I think you're right about revolting against anything that can be traced to the Enlightenment, and not knowing what they mean by "capitalism". At the same time, the seriously thinking emergers with whom I am familar are all about restoring holistic balance and redeeming VA- thus the emphasis on praxis and contextualization, not only in a missional sense but in all of life.
D.

[Michael Kruse]

I agree that the restoring and redeeming impulse is there. I think people like Volf have a handle on it. Stevens too. It just disturbs me that so often this “restoring” is equated with uncritical dismissal of economic freedom. Economic freedom is a core element of having a society of stewards. Without freedom you have automatons, not stewards. Stewardship requires choice. The challenge is creating optimal choice while and instilling virtue in the populace while sufficiently circumscribing destructive forces that breed either chaos or tyranny.