From doubt to economics – here are two choices in our Inspiring Books series from two members of our congregation at St Chrysostom’s.
Hector MacMillan, a questioning Scot, chooses a book by a former Bishop of Edinburgh. Hector writes; My book suggestion is Leaving Alexandria by Richard Holloway.
This is a powerful memoir about faith and doubt, with a strong meditative and philosophical heart.
I always welcome a book from this renegade priest. A friend of mine recently said to me, “But surely he’s an atheist . . .” To which I replied, “That’s not the impression I get when I see him at Mass on a Sunday morning at Old Saint Paul’s in Edinburgh . . .”
My faith certainly has quite a smattering of what Newman called “decent doubt”: something that Richard Holloway has it in spades. He more than any other writer has encouraged me to walk the walk, even when my faith is decidely shaky.
(Leaving Alexandria was also the choice of Alex Taylor, who spoke at our Justice and Peace group several months ago.)
And something quite different from Sandra Palmer, who writes; My Inspiring book is: Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics: Seven ways to think like a 20th century economist
Despite butterflies and roses, children’s laughter and friendship, it is easy to get bogged down in the mire of 2018. Brexit , Trump, austerity , financial uncertainty and above all anxiety about looming environmental crisies, suck energy and hope. It can feel like a tangled web with no means of escape.
Alas, Doughnut Economics does not solve all these problems but it does offer a different way of thinking that gives hope for the future. And no, it is not about increasing the consumption of doughnuts to kickstart the economy. Kate Raworth is brilliant at using visual images to explain economic concepts. The doughnut is a symbol for the economics of survival : the outer circle is the ceiling set by ecological limits, the inner circle is the social foundation, between lies a safe and just place for humanity within a regenerative and distributive economy.
I have no idea whether Raworth is a Christian . Nevertheless her way of thinking, while rooted in economic theory and without stretching the point too far, rings true to the picture of the kingdom of God found in the New Testament. It shifts thinking away from endless consumption to redistribution, away from the scramble to be top dog to valuing community and social justice. It fills out what that kingdom ( democracy ) of God could mean in the modern age. It is an economic theory in which economics is made for ‘man’ not ‘man’ for economics.
Who would have thought that I would ever find a book on economics inspiring? It doesn’t solve all the problems: it does indicate paths through the dark woods.
What a wonderful variety of different books, from a wide variety of people, we are being shown in this series. This post is the tenth in our ongoing series in which different people share their Inspiring Books, for the first post, the choices of two University Librarians, click here. and for the second, the choice of two students, click here. In the third post two women priests gave their choices here. We crossed the sea to the US for our fourth post the choice of two young ladies – here. Our fifth choice was from two local children and teachers, and two cathedral deans offered their choices here. Then, in our seventh choice two life sentenced prisoners gave their choices, here. And after this two bishops gave choices, and then two retired priests.
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