Christianity and the New Spirit of Capitalism

One of the worlds most celebrated theologians argues for a Protestant anti-work ethic In his classic The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Max Weber famously showed how Christian beliefs and practices could shape persons in line with capitalism. In this significant reimagining of Webers work, Kathryn Tanner provocatively reverses this thesis, arguing that Christianity can offer a direct challenge to the largely uncontested growth of capitalism. Exploring the cultural forms typical of the current financedominated system of capitalism, Tanner shows how they can be countered by Christian beliefs and practices with a comparable personshaping capacity. Addressing headon the issues of economic inequality, structural under- and unemployment, and capitalisms unstable boom/bust cycles, she draws deeply on the theological resources within Christianity to imagine anew a world of human flourishing. This book promises to be one of the most important theological books in recent years.