Adam Smith and the Invisible Hand of God

This book contributes to the ‘new view’ reading of Adam Smith, providing a historically and contextually rich interpretation of Smith’s thought. Smith built a moral philosophy on the foundations of a natural theology of human sociality. Examination of his life, relationship with David Hume and use of divine names shows that he retained a progressive form of Christian theism. The book interrogates the metaphor of the ‘invisible hand’ and highlights the importance of the religious dimension of Adam Smith’s thought for his moral philosophy, his jurisprudence and his economics. It reflects on the contemporary relevance of a theological reading of Smith and lays the ground for further inquiry between economic and religious perspectives.

Brendan Long has a PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK, and is a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Christianity and Culture at Charles Sturt University. For many years, he has worked as a public policy professional, political adviser and in leadership for the not-for-profit sector.