ABSTRACT
In spite of the case made in the preceding chapters, one might rightly question whether a theory of Spiritual Capital is necessary and, moreover, whether such a theory might adequately address the negative aspects of the current practice of advanced capitalism or, as former US Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, has labeled it, “Supercapitalism”. The Theory of Spiritual Capital addresses both the physical and metaphysical resources embedded in an individual actor that are intentionally developed for the purpose of leveraging the other forms of capital at that individual’s disposal, with the intention of creating surplus value that will be used to directly benefit people other than that individual actor. There is an inherent danger in attempting to articulate a new theory using words and terms that have a long history of meaning and are associated with specific contexts or fields of study. The theory of Spiritual Capital is framed by a series of assumptions regarding individual motivation and behavior.
