In his book, Economics Today: a Christian critique, Donald Hay demonstrates “…that Christianity has much to contribute to the analysis of…major economic issues.” In considering this book and offering a critique of its contribution, this paper will use the categories of context, aim, method and content.
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Beginning with the context of the book, Hay identifies himself as an academic economist and as a Christian. The book is shaped by the broad economic debates in evangelical Christianity. On this topic, two points are made. First, “the major issue of concern for Christian economists in the 1970s and early 1980s was whether one form of economic system was more or less appropriate than another.” This pre-occupation also affects Economics Today. The most substantial treatment is given to the comparative merits of capitalism and socialism as economic systems. Second, the debate was characterized by three ideological streams: the evangelical left, the evangelical right and the evangelical centre. Within these categories, Hay has been identified as centrist, recognizing problems in the capitalist system without rejecting it completely. To Hay’s credit, throughout the book, he goes to great lengths to avoid ideology and maintain strong methodological integrity
