MannaCast

How do Christians go from the economic ethics of Jesus to endorsing the competitive pursuit of wealth? How does 'Christian Europe' end up being driven by an economic paradigm of endless accumulation, and what role did the Reformation play? Are Protestants responsible for global capitalism?

Jonathan and Jacob dive into the history to discover how we got here and some implications for Christians today.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

Australians are amongst the wealthiest people on the planet, but very few people feel that way. Not only have high levels of consumption failed to translate into  a sense of wellbeing, we are increasingly confronted with the fact that they cannot be sustained. This podcast is an exercise in new political imagination, arguing that downshifting the Australian economy to a lower consumption, higher wellbeing model is not only desirable but also well within reach.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. 

'Technology' doesn’t have to mean just ‘tech’! Hammers, money, writing… all these things are technologies. How do we use them well? If we don’t get our relationship to our tools right, they might just use us instead.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. 

What role can churches play in tackling climate change? Where have we fallen short? What unique opportunities are there? What can we do when we're overwhelmed? Is it all about sacrifice, or do we gain by the changes? What needs to happen next?

These are just some of questions we ask Jane Kelly of Common Grace and Jessica Morthorpe from Five Leaf Eco-Awards.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. 

The same year Marx and Engels published their Communist Manifesto, three Christians met together seeking to improve the lot of industrial workers in Britain—without wholesale revolution. Their work sparked a multi-generational movement whose political and economic legacy can still be felt. These were the Christian Socialists. What can we learn from them? And how might their ideas find expression today?

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. 

The Catholic Church has a rich history of deep thinking and diverse social action toward a bold, Christian economic vision. On this episode, we dip our toes into this amazing resource. From the Middle Ages to Pope Francis, Jacob and Jonathan discuss some of the ways Catholics have sought to apply the gospel to life in society and how all Christians can continue to do the same.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. 

On this episode we hear from Claire Harvey, a councillor on Frankston City Council, about how and why she got involved in local politics, the challenges involved, some insights gained so far, and how her Christian faith intersects with public service and the task of practically working for the good of the community and place in which she lives. She also articulates a hopeful vision for the future of Australian politics and gives us a taste of how this could take shape at the neighbourhood level.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. 

What is ‘ethical consumption’? What are the practical challenges and spiritual risks involved? Is it something Christians should engage with or would we do well to stay clear? What difference does it make anyway? 

Jacob and Jonathan take aim at the heart of the matter to find out if what is good for the world is also truly good for us.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. 

Don't do a Bible word search for 'economics': you won't find anything! Yet the church takes up and extends Israel's calling to communicate God to the rest of the world, primarily by the way it worships God. This worship is embodied in the way God's people are to live, meaning how the community works, rests, uses money, gives and shares, contributes skills, distributes property, etc. In short, economics!

What kind of economic vision does the Bible commend to us? What potential lies dormant in our churches for experiments in life-giving economic community?

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. 

The first Christian communities existed before the New Testament was written, and their word for their meetings is normally translated into English as 'church'. But what do we mean when we talk about The Church? The meaning and story of the Christian community from those first beginnings is a complex one, and often not well understood. Truly, there is much to criticise and repent of, and sometimes it can feel marred beyond recovery. But there is also unique and indispensable hope to be found in the New Testament's vision of The Church, and many exciting ways we can participate in its reality here and now.

Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.