ABSTRACT
By exploring urban vacancy and the incidences of rural “ghost estates,” this paper exposes the role of property speculation in the late-stages of the long Irish economic boom (1994–2008) and the lingering consequences of harm that arose from those economic priorities. It has taken the decade since the global financial crash for Ireland’s economy to (statistically) recover, but the social damage persists, most notably around the area of housing provision. Now facing a homelessness crisis, the likes of which has not been seen since the days of British rule, a theological examination of this phenomenon reveals the role played by debt in this crisis. Having considered various contemporary approaches to theologically considering such contexts, historical Lutheran resources are utilized to argue that neoliberalism’s successful capture of the Irish policy is best understood under the theological category of idolatry.
