Weaving Perspectives

An Exploration of Economic Justice Based on the Work of Beverly Wildung Harrison and Marilyn Waring

Abstract

In this article, I underline the relevance of economic analysis in Christian social ethical deliberations on issues of justice. I show how connections are made between theological ethics, economics and ecology when Beverly Wildung Harrison, a Christian social feminist ethicist, and Marilyn Waring, a feminist economist, are in dialogue. I demonstrate how War-ing’s approach meets the four criteria of Harrison’s adequate social theory, and then suggest that Waring’s economic insights provide critical data for theological reflection. Central to this article is the idea that conventional economic emphasis on the market presents only a partial analysis of the economy; it omits significant data, such as the work performed in the informal sector (work done mostly by women), and any costs due to environmental damage. This partial analysis poses both an economic and a moral problem. By weaving the perspectives of Harrison and Waring, the injustice is clearly detailed. This is seen as furthering a theological commitment to justice, not only for women, but also for all human beings and the natural world upon which we depend.