According to the Reformed tradition, economic, social and environmental issues should be dealt within the context of faith. The economic world should be judged according to the absolute criteria of God's justice, although human justice is only an approximation of that justice (Zwingli). It is a critical question whether or not this could be a status confessionis. The Reformed tradition does not separate the two spheres of faith and world. Both are under the command and promise of God. Reformed churches, therefore, are specifically challenged by real economic and social situations which create suffering and they need to respond at every level, local, regional, national and global.

We do not do justice to the complexity of the economic world when all we do is to condemn "the economic order" or blame "the economy". History, culture, gender, technology, social structures, political relations and individual and collective preferences have consequences for the economic order at a practical and concrete level. It is not good enough to make solemn declarations, we also need to educate ourselves and take action.

There needs to be critical analysis of ourselves in terms of our consumption, our gender relations in the economic context, trade policies, social security, infrastructure and economic growth.

Christians should encourage one another by setting good examples at both the micro and macro levels. For example: by not being enslaved by the consumer society and/or buying fair-traded goods. These actions will prove that structural and political change is possible since it is dependent on change in individual economic behaviour and decision making. The steps which each individual may take are small, but worthwhile. However this does not mean that large steps are not also needed. We should not congratulate ourselves on buying fair-traded products as if that were all that was needed!

Economic decision-making is often based on false beliefs about the justice and truth of the economic world and the free market in particular. The economic order is a human creation and is our responsibility. But as individual human beings our control of it is very limited. Christians need to learn about the economy in order to enter into dialogue with one another and with all members of society.

The histories and contexts of eastern and western Europe in the economic sphere are very different, and each has much to learn from the other. The depth and breadth of the learning is very important. Dialogue at every level is the key to our understanding both of each other and of the way in which the economy affects all our lives.

Women live and work in the economic world, but often feel excluded from it because their experiences and lives are also excluded. This is, at least, partly because economic theory only analyses part of the economic world and ignores that part which cannot be given a price tag. It is important that women have the opportunity to understand how economics works and how significant their contribution is to the economy.

This report comes out of our discussions. We did not have time to discuss everything and there are many subjects and issues which are important but which are not mentioned here, for example: unemployment and the right to livelihood or work for a living wage.

Recommendation

We recommend that economics be studied at each level of the church in the context of our faith. This can be done best in relation to social and environmental issues and as an on-going process. This is particularly important at the local church level so the small steps which we suggest in our report may be taken up by the churches of the Alliance.