The idea of the Biblical economics: Utopia or chance in the face of the contemporary transformations of the sphere of work

Piotr Kopiec

doi:10.4102/hts.v75i4.5164

Abstract

The future of labour appears as one of the crucial themes of the sociological and economic reflections. Sociologists and economists proclaim a shrinking scope of labour and, consequently, a certain elitism of jobs. In their opinion, professional work will be a privilege for those who are more skilled and better educated, and those who are able to face the challenges of the rapid technological progress. This will be causing an unknown future of the reality of both common unemployment and enforced idleness, and, consequently, a deep social transformation. Questions related to human labour from the very beginning are an important field of involvement for the ecumenical movement. Theologians and churchmen of different Christian confessions, while striving for unity, put the stress on the common reflection and activity in order to counteract poverty and unemployment. An example is a biblical economics developed in the ecumenical movement, an attempt to apply both some specific biblical economic ideas and biblical general model of economic relations to the contemporary economic systems, to make them more just and more ecological. This article presents the most important elements of the biblical economics and considers their relevance for the sphere of human labour in the perspective of the oncoming crisis. Research methods encompass analysis of the presentations developed within the World Council of Churches as well as some sociological diagnosis concerning professional and wage work.

Highlights

According to many sociologists and economists, in near future the world will be facing the very deep and radical transformation of the social systems.1 Factors sparking off the oncoming changes are of diverse nature and significant
The referred forecasts are rather gloomy. They reflected the threats of the digital and social exclusion, growing gap between those who are skilled to face the challenge of the more and more specialised labour market and those who are not, and dangerous results of common unemployment arising from the automatisation
An example is a biblical economics developed in the ecumenical movement, an attempt to apply both some specific biblical economic ideas and biblical general model of economic relations to the contemporary economic systems, to make them more just and more ecological

Summary

Original Research

The idea of the Biblical economics: Utopia or chance in the face of the contemporary transformations of the sphere of work. Sociologists and economists proclaim a shrinking scope of labour and, a certain elitism of jobs In their opinion, professional work will be a privilege for those who are more skilled and better educated, and those who are able to face the challenges of the rapid technological progress. Professional work will be a privilege for those who are more skilled and better educated, and those who are able to face the challenges of the rapid technological progress This will be causing an unknown future of the reality of both common unemployment and enforced idleness, and, a deep social transformation. Research methods encompass analysis of the presentations developed within the World Council of Churches as well as some sociological diagnosis concerning professional and wage work

Introduction

Open Access

The meaning of the biblical economics

The meaning of the Sabbath and jubilee year

The significance of contemporary work transformations