Theological Ethics in a Neoliberal Age: Confronting the Christian Problem with Wealth by Kevin Hargaden (review)

In Theological Ethics in a Neoliberal Age, Kevin Hargaden offers "a theological analysis of wealth, and, by reference to the parables, charts an alternative approach to following Jesus for those of us who are (relatively) rich" (xvi). He explores this approach through the specific example of the "Celtic Tiger," that is the recent boom-and-bust experience of the Republic of Ireland, with the 2008 global financial crisis playing a pivotal role. Hargaden begins with an overview of neoliberal capitalism, foregrounding Ireland's present economy. He then turns to the parables, specifically Karl Barth's exegetical work on them, and the challenges they pose for Christians to conventional economic logic. Hargaden next makes an innovative move by offering several of his own parables, presenting aspects of Ireland's recent economic history.

In conclusion, Hargaden considers the way forward for Christians of wealth. After analyzing two dominant modes of response, reform and withdrawal, he proposes Christian worship as the appropriate mechanism of "reparative counter-formation" (xx–xxi). While others, most notably William T. Cavanaugh (author of the forward to the book) have offered similar proposals, Hargaden's unique contribution focuses on the role of the homily and of lament. Engaging parables in worship, which "punctures our neoliberal subjectivity," (138) is key to this. Parables resist simplistic analysis and solutions to address economic issues, which the market itself is all too eager to provide. Hargaden boldly claims that "to say that worship is the appropriate response is to say that the only way out of idolatry to Mammon is conversion to Jesus" (139) and concludes by posing several specific aspects of Christian worship (i.e., music licensing and copyright) that should be considered with regard to their neoliberal economic connections.

Hargaden's work provides a very useful contribution to the field, extending other work done about worship as important to both formation for and actual resistance to neoliberalism. His approach balances well the local with the global, showing the linkages between the Irish economy and globalized neoliberal capitalism. His work with parables, both biblical and his own, demonstrates both his artistic skill and deep reverence for Scripture as a source for ethics and frame for economic justice. Homileticians and biblical scholars might appreciate and expand upon this work. Hargaden demonstrates that parables, both biblical and modern, can offer "renewed imagination" (81) by "puncturing the hegemonic hold that neoliberal capitalism aspires to exert over our imagination" (83), resisting simplistic or pragmatic analysis or conclusions. This approach may well benefit those considering other ethical issues or seeking to re-frame economic history in their own context, although the potential challenge of the complexity and uncertainty presented by parables could have been addressed more explicitly.

However, Hargaden himself addresses this challenge. While resisting simplistic conclusions, he does offer practical applications for those in congregational leadership and others considering neoliberal influences on worship. Further work could extend his analysis to other aspects of congregational life, as well as to consider the place of advocacy in Christian practice. Hargaden centers the practical role of the church in resistance to neoliberalism in terms of "charitable" acts (i.e., feeding the hungry), leaving questions unanswered about the place of the church in more systemic change. Nevertheless, in this relatively short text, Hargaden accomplishes a great deal and does so with solid analysis, persuasive argumentation, and innovative conclusions. This book is a gift to the fields of political theology, Christian ethics, and many others.