Economics is commonly defined as the scientific study of the production and distribution of wealth or of the relationship between scarce resources and the uses that compete for them. Wealth means welfare, prosperity or riches. The way in which wealth and resources, both scarce and plentiful, are distributed throughout society is a reflection of the values of that society. Economics cannot be value free.

Faith is the commitment to a belief system in the context and understanding of the spiritual dimension of human life. This may be as the 'mental assent to divinely revealed truth', (catholic), or 'obedient trust towards God as he is revealed in his Word', (Protestant). The dominant faith of each society is reflected in its values.

Neither of these definitions or subjects reflect a feminist perspective and the input from women into the disciplines of theology and economics has been very limited. Feminist theology and feminist economics are important areas of work which bring a different perspective to both subjects and which offer a fundamental critique which alters the whole framework of them both, as well as their relationship to one another.

Economics and scientific method

The claim to scientific method is significant to economists, but it is hard to show that economics follows such methodology. An economist does not observe actual behaviour, seek a theoretical explanation and then prove the theory by repeated observations of the behaviour. The forecasting record of economic models has never been good. Economists take a small part of the real world and build a simplified model of it in order to understand how things are related to one another. The simplification means that many factors are excluded from the theories. For example, the law of supply and demand would suggest that doctors are paid high wages because there is a shortage of them and nurses low wages because there are too many of them. In fact neither is the case. Wages in the medical professions are more likely to reflect position in the medical power hierarchy and whether the job is traditionally held by men or women than they are to reflect economic theory.

The claim to be a science also raises questions about the nature of the 'laws' of economics. Despite modern understanding of the nature of the world, the title scientific implies that a law is true and cannot be changed. It is not true that the laws of economics cannot be changed by human beings. The principles of economics are not like the laws of physics, they depend on the behaviour of human beings who, if they chose to behave in different ways, would change principles.

Theology has also claimed to be a science 'the queen of sciences'! This comes from the understanding of God as a being of order and rationality, whose created world is under the rule of order and rational law, not chance. However the more deeply science seeks to understand our world, the more that random and irrational forces seem to be at the root of the world. Equally science does not depend on the ideas of a spiritual framework in order to prove its theories.

A feminist critique

The feminist critique of economics begins with the understanding that since the majority of economists have been white men they have used themselves as the model for humanity. The simplified models they build are based on the white male as norm. This has led to three major flaws.

Economists have analysed only the parts of life which have price tags hung on them or which could be converted into money. This has meant that a large part of economic activity, the part in which women are active, is ignored. This happens despite the fact that the economic world depends on workers being fed, clothed and cleaned, new workers being brought up and old workers cared for.
The power structure, largely held by white men, is assumed to be the norm and to have no effect on economic theory.
The exploitation, both past and present, of the resources of the countries of the South and the exportation of poverty from the developed nations to the South is not given its full value in economic theory.

Equally the feminist critique of theology begins with the understanding that since the majority of theologians have been men they have used themselves as the model for humanity and for God. In some theological frameworks the model has also been based on white people as the norm. As with economics this has led to three major flaws:

Women's experience and spirituality has been and continues to be, routinely ignored. This is particularly true in relation to our understanding and imaging of God.

The power structure, largely held by white men, is assumed to be the norm and to have no effect on theology.

The exploitation of people, black men and women, as well as white women is not credited with having any effect on theology.

A theological critique of economics

A theological critique begins from the perception that there is a relationship between God and the whole of God's world, including the economic world. This means that:

The value framework of economics needs to be recognized and set in a theological context. For example the objectives of industry need to be analysed for their contribution to 'abundant life'. "...As long as industry is organized primarily, not for the service of the community but with the object of producing a purely financial result for some of its members, it cannot be recognized as properly fulfilling its social purpose." What is needed is new understanding of what the economic activity is for. What is needed is to conceive social life from the viewpoint of continuity of life.
There is a theological hierarchical power model of God at the apex and angels, men, women and the rest of the created order descending below God. It is the model which the Christian church has used for its own structures. In the secular world it has been used to reinforce hierarchical power structures which threaten the environment, the majority of human beings and the survival of all life. Feminist theology regards this as a distortion of Christian theology. Economics, like theology, needs to look for new models of operating using co-operation and ensuring that proper value is given to each part of creation.

Economics is of fundamental importance to all human beings because it has a profound effect on our lives. From both a feminist and a theological perspective economics needs to be re-shaped so that all areas of work, all people, the whole created order, the power systems and the value framework are included in its models.

How to create a feminist and theological model of economics

A feminist and theological model of economics begins by analysing the whole of the economic world, including the parts which currently have no monetary value, in terms of 'why?'. It is not enough to describe some countries as developed without being clear why they are developed and at whose cost is their development. The attempt to understand why women across the world do more work for less pay than men requires an analysis of community and family values, of the social construction of women and men, of the religious framework of societies in addition to the monetary implications. The questions why rather than a description of what is, raises the issue of justice and fairness which is fundamental to the theological perspective.

Then there is the need to recognize and understand the five key building blocks of our present economic system. They are:

The profit motive which is the engine of a capitalist economy but which is based on selfishness rather than the highest of human motives and actions,
The sexual division of labour which values work and pays for it according to gender,
Racial discrimination which both individually and structurally values people and their contribution to society according to their skin colour,
The global division of labour which encourages business to locate its employment where workers are paid the least and controls of safety and care for the environment are not enforced,
Military power which is the biggest area of international expenditure and which both economically and materially enforces the current power structure.

The third step is to ask what sort of a world do we want? What should the resources of the world be used for? Who should own land and property, how should everyone's basic needs for food, clothing and shelter be met, what access should people have to education and health care, how should income be distributed, what economic rights should people be guaranteed, what is the place of plants, animals and the environment? The role of women and of black people, the interests of the powerless as well as the powerful should be considered. The tasks of governments in the local, national and international economy should also be included. The answers to these questions can be found through careful theological study. The Bible is a plentiful source book on this subject. The year of the Jubilee (Leviticus 25.10-23), care in society (Deuteronomy 24.17-22), or lack of it (Amos 2.6-8, 5.10-13), Jesus comments on wealth (Mark 10.23.25), sharing and wealth in the early church (Acts 4.32-35, James 2.1-7,14-17), the economic contribution of women to Jesus ministry (Luke 8.1-3).

We should not all agree on the answers to these questions, neither as feminists nor theologians, but it is important to explore the questions thoroughly before seeking economic answers.

The final task is to work out how to go from steps one and two, our understanding of the current situation, to step three, the way we want the world to be. The gap between the two is enormous, and it is by no means clear how to go from one to the other. There is no single right route. The collapse of the capitalist economies under the weight of their own necessary inequalities or the advent of major revolution or the destruction of the environment are possible routes to alternative economies but they will bring chaos, destruction and disaster. If other routes are possible they will include:

Building a new value system, replacing the values of our current society, (exploitation, patriarchy, violence, consumerism, exclusion) with the values of a just society, (respect for everyone, solidarity between people, stewardship of the earth, non-violence, co-operation, participation.)
Living the new value system, a just economic society calls us to choose our lifestyles to match. 'Live simply, that others may simply live.' Unless this happens there will be less potential for change, and for meeting the needs of those without.
Building new structures, which will create new ways of working and new organizations for the production and delivery of services, like co-operatives, credit unions, women's organizations.
Transforming existing institutions, so that new values re-shape the patterns of doing and relating in existing institutions, decision-making becomes participatory, reward systems more just, race-blind and gender-neutral, conflicts are settled non-violently and co-operation replaces competition.
Organizing and designing the process of change. This means organizing, campaigning, demonstrating, boycotting. It takes time, money and effort to create economic and political change.
Standing against what is wrong. One part of working for change is preventing policies and actions which reinforce the status quo or take us backwards. It is not possible to be neutral. To be silent is to stand on the side of the status quo and the powerful.

Since economics is the creation of human beings and not a set of immutable laws it is properly subject to an ethical analysis, in a theological context, from a feminist perspective. Economists have not sufficiently recognized the value judgements they make and the ethical issues involved. Feminism demands a whole new look at a male structured subject and the theological critique creates a framework for reviewing the ideas and decisions resulting from economic theory. This whole analysis shows the need for a change in economics itself. For such change to happen, those who recognize the need for it will have to take action. Some actions will be very small, at individual consumer level, some will change hearts and mind and some will reconstruct economics. The earth is the Lord's, including all the wealth and the scarce resources. Economists should be answering the question how these are distributed, in the light of feminist theology. Economic theory can be made to reflect a theological and feminist understanding of society.