From a friend

“Keynesian economics by which the world has run since the 1930’s depends on the assumption of continual growth. This I suspect has led to the exploitation of the planet and with global warming we are going to have to develop models of negative growth or zero growth. i.e. how do we live creatively in recession.

Tillich talks of the anxiety of emptiness and meaninglessness. ie if we are not economically growing all with jobs or a church is not growing or we are not accumulating more materials, then that anxiety develops. He suggests ‘spiritual self affirmation’ ‘Such an experience presupposes that the spiritual life is taken seriously, that it is a matter of ultimate concern’, says Tillich.

The church should be the leader in this but we wont be because we follow a Calvinistic work ethic reinforced by Keynes that growth underpins a society. We take then these managemnt models into our theology instead of looking at the kingdom of God model.”