Faith in Capitalism

The downloadable guide is free (last updated 2024), but if you'd prefer a printed guide you can buy one from Reception for £5. 

William Gladstone was born in Liverpool and spent much of his later life in nearby Hawarden Castle which became his adopted home. Along with serving as Prime Minister four times, he was also Chancellor of the Exchequer four times having previously served as President of the Board of Trade. In his private life, Gladstone was both a deeply religious and intellectually curious man. During his time in office, he will have undoubtedly spent much time wrestling to reconcile his theology with the economic disciplines needed to manage a country’s affairs. George Hoylake’s account below of Gladstone’s visit to Northumberland in 1862 gives an indication of his popularity and bears testimony to his moral leadership.

“When Mr Gladstone visited the North, you will remember when word passed from the newspaper to the workman that it circulated through mines and mills, factories and workshops, and they came out to greet the only British minister who ever gave the English people a right because it was just that they should have it …. and when he went down to the Tyne, all the country heard how twenty miles of banks were lined with people who came to greet him. Men stood in the blaze of chimneys; the roofs of factories were crowded; colliers came up from the mines; women held up their children on the banks that it may be said in after life that they had seen the Chancellor of the People go by”.

 Towards the end of his life, Gladstone decided to establish a library where ordinary people could benefit from the books he had accumulated, indeed his stated vision was to, “unite readers without books with books without readers”. He chose Hawarden as it was close to home and within easy reach by new rail links for people from Manchester and Liverpool, both of which had grown rapidly from expansion of manufacturing and global trade. Today’s Library seeks to continue this mission and we hope that the Faith in Capitalism Collection will help those interested in exploring the modern-day form of issues that would undoubtedly have been of profound interest to Gladstone. One senses too that he would have never ceased striving for a better society that dares to aspire to Christ’s invocation, Thy Will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven.

Guide to the Collection

There is a deliberately dualist title to this Collection which has been curated to help interested readers consider the interplay between Faith and Capitalism from two very different perspectives. Following the global financial problems which started in the summer of 2007, many profound questions are being asked again about the state and future of Capitalism. Had William Gladstone been alive today perhaps serving again as Chancellor of the Exchequer, he would without doubt have been reading all he could to try and fathom the situation and search for remedies grounded in his faith. The purpose of this initiative is to provide a resource for readers to explore the relationship between Theology and Economics as expressed through Capitalism, including its crucial impact on the environment. It is hoped that this living collection of books will form the platform for informed thought and discussion on the subject. 

For ease of reference, the collection is structured into twelve core pillar sections:

1. Introductions to Capitalism
2. Adam Smith and Political Economy
3. Religion, Ethics and Capitalism
4. Henry George’s Progress and Poverty
5. Considering Money and Debt
6. Past and Present Financial Crises
7. Karl Marx and his Legacy
8. Inequality and Capitalism
9. Climate Change and Sustainability
10. Philanthropy and Foreign Aid
11. Globalisation and Capitalism
12. Future Thinking on Capitalism

The books which make up this collection are classified within the main circulating collection at Gladstone’s. This makes it a living collection and allows users to browse other books on similar topics at the same time. The present books are listed under the above section headings in the collection guide (either downloadable above, or in paper copy from Reception). Further books relating to the subject can be found by looking at the Library’s much wider online catalogue, and any ideas for further additions to the collection are always welcome.