Just Debt

Ilsup Ahn is Carl I. Lindberg Professor of Philosophy at North Park University. He is the author of Position and Responsibility (2009) and Religious Ethics and Migration: Doing Justice to Undocumented Workers (2013). He is also a coeditor of Asian American Christian Ethics: Voices, Issues, and Methods (2015). He received his PhD in Social and Religious Ethics from the University of Chicago.

Introduction 1. The History and Taxonomy of Amoral Debt 2. Neoliberal Financialization and the Idea of Just Debt 3. Unpayable Debt and the Ethics of Default and Bankruptcy 4. Islamic Financial Ethics and the Case against Rentier Economy of Debt 5. Jewish Ethics of Jubilee and the Question of Debt Forgiveness 6. Christianity and a Virtue Ethics of Debt Conclusion

Ever since the 2008 financial crisis, the issue of increasing private and public debts has become topical in the field of the humanities and social sciences. Ilsup Ahn's Just Debt: Theology, Ethics, and Neoliberalism contributes to an already lively debate by situating the discussion on the terrain of religious morality." - Jean Francois Bissonnette, Reading Religion "Ahn impressively crafts an ethical discussion that is wide-ranging, engaging and readable, and draws on diverse voices and traditions. It should broadly interest social ethicists, economists and philosophers. His compelling proposal for 'just debt' balances realism and hope, and seems a feasible and timely intervention. Numerous examples and case studies winsomely illustrate his argument." Jacob Rollison, Studies in Christian Ethics "This is an important and well-researched book that expands a conversation about wealth inequalities and poverty among theologians, ethicists, and religious leaders. It will be of particular interest to leaders in the ecumenical movement." - Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty, Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology "The author does what many theorists find difficult in that he is able to hold in tension a systematic critique of neoliberalism alongside a hopeful vision of a reconstructed economy of debt which 'preserves social cohesion and solidarity.' This book is a wonderful resource for both advanced undergraduate and graduate-level classes on economics viewed from the lens of religious ethics." - B. Scott Stephens, Religious Studies Review "The book offers a helpful introduction to complex issues, and is marked by admirable symmetry within and among its chapters. Furthermore, in his exposition and evaluation, Ahn strikes a tone that is warmly passionate and grounded in Christian conviction, without resorting to illogical hyperbole or ideological shrillness. As a result, scholars from several disciplines (including comparative religion, anthropology, and political philosophy), as well as Christians who simply desire to learn more about economic ethics, will discover in Just Debt a compelling read." - Joshua Beckett, Christian Scholars Review "...Ahn's book is an important resource for readers concerned with global debt and economic justice, as well as those interested in applying interreligious scholarship to social ethics." - Andrew Stone Porter, Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics