HG Brennan Lecture in Economics & Theology

Economics and Christianity are often perceived to be in tension - the tension between

efficiency and morality, or self-interest and compassion. But economics and

Christianity have significant common ground: both are rooted in a sober view of

human imperfection and frailty. Both take human actors as they find them, eschewing

na"ive assumptions that societies can be built on perfect altruism or a morally perfect

citizenry. Yet neither the economist nor the Christian despair at this reality - both

offer practical ways forward to achieve social cooperation and moral progress. This

lecture will explore aspects of the economic and Christian approach to dealing with

human frailty, and explore scope for synthesis between these approaches.