Public lecture – Juergen von Hagen, ‘Economics and Theology: Promise and Difficulties of the Dialogue’

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to hear from one of the world's leading economic theologians, Professor von Hagen.

We are incredibly fortunate to have Professor von Hagen visiting us from the University of Bonn in February. As part of that visit, he will be delivering a public lecture on 10 February on the topic of 'Economics and Theology: Promise and Difficulties of the Dialogue.'

Economists and theologians today seem to live in completely separate parts of the universe, with very little, if any, communication between the two. The existence of an economics of religion as a field in contemporary economics and much theological writing on economic issues notwithstanding, the two disciplines rarely talk to each other.

It was not always like this. Historically, modern economics emerged as an offshoot of moral theology and philosophy; early writers on economics considered it a moral science, and theologians contributed much to the development of the new discipline. Cross-pollination of the two came to an end around the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.

In his lecture, Prof von Hagen will describe the development of the dialogue between economics and theology from the second-half of the 18th century to our times. He will then show how the two disciplines could benefit from talking to each other today and, in particular, how theologians might help economics devise better solutions to economic problems in capitalist societies.

Bio:

Juergen von Hagen earned his PhD in economics from the University of Bonn in 1985. Currently, he holds the position of professor of economics at the University of Bonn. Professor von Hagen's expertise has been sought after by various international organisations, including the IMF, the European Commission, and the World Bank, as well as national governments and central banks across Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Professor von Hagen is a leading figure in interdisciplinary research on economics and theology, including a major project on money with his theological colleague, Michael Welker. This includes the co-editing of Money as God: The Monetisation of the Market and Its Impact on Religion, Politics, Law and Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 2014). He is also a Senior Pastor of the Free Evangelical Church in Muelheim, Germany.