Cambridge University Press Augustine and the Economy of Sacrifice: Ancient and Modern Perspectives

Product Description Business is generally viewed as a means to generate personal or corporate wealth, but business transactions can also sacrificially serve the common good. In conversation with contemporary social theorists, Joshua S. Nunziato in this book critically evaluates the spiritual significance and aims of economic exchange. Inspired by Augustine's vision of the Church as a 'universal sacrifice', he explores how Augustine's approach teaches us detachment - both personal and collective - which releases us from illusory claims of ownership and reframes business as an exercise in loving and letting go. Nunziato's volume engages with the big questions of economic life and considers both why and how we acknowledge people through business in a way that results in collective well-being. It will be of interest to scholars and students of Augustinian studies, philosophy of exchange, and economic ethics. Book Description Provides the first book-length treatment of what Augustinian thought has to offer contemporary economic theory. About the Author Joshua S. Nunziato is a full-time faculty instructor in the Business Ethics and Social Impact division of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His research reframes the relationship between economic culture, ethical reflection, and inner life. Nunziato has published in Business Ethics Quarterly, Modern Theology, and other venues.