Books by Eskil Jonsson

The overall problem raised in this book is that the Western culture of modern rationality, power, and economics departs from a rather narrow, secular and ego-centric worldview. Therefore, it does not recognize the identity of traditional cultures and religions nor social, economic, or ecological justice in relation to the rest of the world.Western religion has, over history, often played a legitimating role for political power, and the expansion of institutional structures and has therefore lost much of its prophetic identity to be signs of peace, justice, and unity. The ecumenical and integrative model of stewardship as an ""economy of grace,"" with a deeper ecological philosophy, does, however, offer new visions for a multicultural and multireligious economy.This book is intended for leaders, students, and scholars interested in interdisciplinary studies of politics, religion, economics, and ecology. This will also be of interest to students and researchers in peace studies or conflict management, as well as to leaders who are engaged in the building of peace and justice.

During the first decade of the 20th century we have witnessed increasing concerns for the world economy with demands for new financial capital to pay off huge national debts and pressures for economic growth all over the world. On top of that there is an increasing ecological crisis as well as a humanitarian crisis due to poverty, violence and war, which is at least partly due narrow economic goals and do not pay much attention to the wider environmental, social and cultural context (Polanyi, 2001). Modern economists or sociopolitical scientists do even less relate economy to religion or faith although Weber explained earlier that Protestant Ethics provided legitimacy for capitalism. In recent years, however, several theologians have written extensively on what is sometimes referred to as "theological economy" (Brattgård, 1963; Hall, Meeks, 1989; Long, 2000; Nelson, 2001;Tanner, 2005;Atherton, 2008). Several of these researchers states that the household economy is the necessary basis or framework for an inclusive view on the deeper culture of economy as a that also pays attention to a an ecumenical (oikoumene) perspective. The assumption is that all resources human or natural are given freely to all the people as stewards of God.