ABSTRACT
The primary purpose of any doctoral-level literature search is first to review the extant literature that relates directly to the subject being researched in an effort to inform the findings of that research. The reason for the neglect of this concept in the economic literature can be attributed, once again, to the positivistic, empirical turn in economics that took place during the neoclassical period, away from a concern with metaphysics and social ontology. Taking Lightbown’s view of Christian charity’s role even further, Hendrik Opdebeeck argues for the urgency of a frugality-based economic system. More than seeing Spiritual Capital as just a subset of Social Capital, broadening the frame in which we view the capitalist enterprise will require us to understand that Spiritual Capital also has some relationship to what might be considered ultimate value and/or prosperity. Spiritual Capital here reflects the life-giving impulse that infused the way these people managed the other forms of capital at their disposal.
