Toward an Economy of Life

Abstract

This article takes as its point of departure the suggestion by the World Council of Churches (WCC) that the capitalist economic system is the root cause of current crises, in particular the climate catastrophe. In facing the world crises, the ecumenical movement has developed an approach called the “Economy of Life.” Member churches of the WCC, as well as other institutions, are asked to engage with and promote this approach. This article investigates whether and how the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), a member church of the WCC, has adopted the concept of an economy of life with its notion of a necessary change of the economic system. The findings show that, in the period analyzed, the EKD did not mention the concept, nor did it oppose or assess the capitalistic and neoliberal economic system.