Religion and Economy in a Global Era: New Articulation After Secularization

Dear Colleagues,

Modern society was born from a secularizing context. The disconnecting of the economic, political, and religious spheres was considered essential in prosperous, free, and secure development. The state would ensure peace and security without ecclesiastical oversight or theological foundations; the market, in turn, would expand property and trade, fostering an egalitarian freedom derived from economic independence. Religion was to remain confined to private conscience, without intervening in the public sphere.

Today, we can see that secularization has not fully materialized, as we exist in a landscape of religious pluralism in which religious agents have played significant roles in both political and economic spheres throughout the 20th century. We do not live in an era of perpetual peace; on the contrary, we face serious threats from terrorist groups, imperialist states, and other forms of violence. We have also experienced both the advantages and the painful disadvantages of capitalism: growing inequalities between the rich and the poor; lifestyles centered on production; an accelerated pace of life driven by constant demands for results; increasing difficulties in finding time for rest, care, and contemplation; a deterioration in mental health; exploitative relationships with the natural world; and an individualistic anthropology that fosters utilitarian social relationships and unwanted loneliness.

All this invites us to rethink the relationships among the economic, political, and religious spheres. In particular, we must reconsider the connection between the first and the third, as politics today plays a subsidiary role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the market within global society.

We propose an approach that integrates, rather than opposes, economy and religion. Instead of assuming that religion hinders economic prosperity, we seek to explore how religion—at least, Christianity—brings unity and meaning to human life, of which the economy is an integral part. We invite scholars to reflect on how the challenges of capitalism can be addressed through the meaning that religion offers regarding work, time, freedom, and relationships with others and with the natural world. These four concepts are fundamental both in religion and in economics, making them key axes in humanization.

Modern capitalism has promoted a vision of humanity and the world in which the visible prevails over the invisible, means over ends, self-interest over the common good, technical science over timeless wisdom, and external life over interior life. It has prioritized the figures of the bureaucrat, tourist, nomad, and vagabond over those of the free worker, religious pilgrim, and rooted family figure. But what if it were the latter concepts that truly gave meaning to the former?

In the era of globalization, we face crises arising from unfulfilled modern promises—crises of identity, morality, and institutions. The identity of the global consumer is insufficient, as is an individualistic–utilitarian morality or a business-orientated economy detached from the family and the ultimate end of human life. These crises have given rise to new anthropological reflections, business ethics, and innovative ways of integrating social institutions.

We invite papers that explore these themes within various fields, such as theology, philosophy, medicine, economy, and sociology.

Research Areas:

1. Economy and religion (Adam Smith, Karl Marx, F. Nietzsche, Simone Weil, S. Agustin, Holy Scriptures, Fathers of the Church, and other authors);
2. Meaning of human work: objective–subjective dimensions of work and freedom;
3. A global world: economy, religion, and mutual influence;
4. Humanizing the company: work, benefits, virtues, beauty, purpose, and happiness;
5. Humans, the world (social and natural), work, transformation, and relationships in a global era;
6. Free work and religious worship;
7. Human life: work and different modes of time (acceleration, rest, care, celebration, etc.);
8. Anthropological review: the logic of capitalism and the logic of religion;
9. Economy, ethics, and markets: business, freedom, the common good, benefits, work, and family;
10. Medicine, health, productive work, and religion.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor (rlazaro@unav.es) or to the Religions Editorial Office (religions@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purpose of ensuring proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Raquel Lázaro-Cantero
Prof. Dr. Germán Roberto Scalzo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• work and transformation
• modes of time and health and pathologies
• social relationships and human figures
• world and natural and social
• worship and work
• religion and capitalism
• economy and Christianity
• common good and different goods
• human life, work, and meaning
• globalization and identities