ABSTRACT
Richard Harries's views on the subject were brought together in his book of 1992, Is There a Gospel for the Rich?, which sets out an agenda for those of who, in relative terms, are wealthy. This chapter offers reflections on the central themes of Harries's book – wealth and the market. It considers some of the significant changes that have taken place in economics and business in the fourteen years since its publication. The Churches' theological response to the growth of the market economy has been cautious. Although Catholic social teaching in some respects positively appreciates market capitalism, it also sees virtue in socialism, and negative consequences in both. Anglican theology has tended to focus on the negative social consequences of market forces, such as the creation of urban poverty, cyclical unemployment associated with the advent of the trade cycle, and social disruption caused by the mobility of capital from one sector or location to another.
