Theology, Morality and Adam Smith (Routledge Studies in the History of Economics)

This work details the theological sources and moral significance of the life and work of the Scottish moral philosopher Adam Smith (1723–1790).

The panel of contributors deepens our understanding of Adam Smith in his religious and theological context and the significance of this understanding for contemporary moral, economic, and political challenges to modern social life. The chapters cover a broad range of disciplinary and historical concerns, from Smith’s view of providence and his famous "invisible hand" to the role of self-interest and benevolence in Smith’s social and economic thought. A better appreciation for the moral and theological dimensions of Smith’s thought provides not only a better understanding of Smith’s own context and significance in the Scottish Enlightenment but also promises to assist in meeting the perennial challenges of properly connecting economic realities to moral responsibility.

The book is of interest to advanced students and scholars of the history of economic thought, historical and moral theology, intellectual history, political science, and philosophy.

Jordan J. Ballor is a theologian with doctoral degrees in Reformation history from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and moral theology from Calvin Theological Seminary, USA. He is director of research at the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy and executive editor of the Journal of Religion, Culture & Democracy. He is also associate director of the Junius Institute for Digital Reformation Research and the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics.

Cornelis van der Kooi is professor emeritus in systematic theology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and has published widely in the field of systematic theology and on the theology and impact of (neo)calvinism. Currently he serves as distinguished scholar at the Erasmus Economics and Theology Institute (EETI) at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.