James Brumbaugh, PhD student in ethics at Boston University School of Theology, recently reviewed Cascade Books volume, Mammon’s Ecology: Metaphysic of the Empty Sign, for American Academy of Religion publication, Reading Religion. Brumbaugh writes, “Goff points to something that is unavoidable for any scholars who think about money: it is ecological. Money’s participation in ecological systems ought to be addressed in any philosophical, theological, or ethical account of money. This book can provide an entryway for readers unfamiliar with the topic, as well as allow those versed in theory of money to encounter an important perspective on the relation between money and ecology.”
For the full review of Stan Goff’s 2018 book, click here.
About the book
Proverbs 22:22 enjoins the reader, “Don’t take advantage of the poor just because you can.” Mammon’s Ecology is a systematic investigation into the mysterious nature of modern money, which confronts us with the perplexing fact that, in the global economy as it is, we take advantage of the poor whether we want to or not. We destroy natural systems whether we want to or not. Ched Myers describes Mammon’s Ecology as a “workbook” about “the secret life of money.” Where Prather and others have shown that money is one of the perverse Powers described in Ephesians 6, Mammon’s Ecology details precisely how money exercises this peculiar power and outlines suggestions for Christians who feel trapped in this complicity—not just as individuals, but as church. Mammon’s Ecology is not a book about economics (which the author calls “the world’s best antidote to insomnia”), but rather a book about the “deep ecology” of (post)modern power and injustice. Read individually or as a group, Mammon’s Ecology will leave you unable to think about money the same way again.
About the author
Stan Goff has authored five books on war and militarism—including Borderline: Reflections on War, Sex, and Church (Cascade, 2015)—on gender and militarism. He has written numerous articles on socioeconomic issues since 1995. This is his first book on “monetary ecology.” He is a former career soldier, a peace activist, and a Roman Catholic with latent Mennonite tendencies.