The Practices of Happiness

This new book brings together leading voices from the field of economics, theology and ethics to consider the contribution of religion to social capital, through critical dialogue with mainstream economics and other social sciences.

John Atherton is Canon Theologian Emeritus of Manchester Cathedral and Honorary Research Fellow of the William Temple Foundation and of Manchester University, UK, with doctorates from Manchester and Uppsala Universities. His research and publishing interests have increasingly focused on the relationship between political economy and religion. Elaine Graham is Grosvenor Research Professor of Practical Theology at the University of Chester, UK, and was until October 2009 the Samuel Ferguson Professor of Social and Pastoral Theology at the University of Manchester, UK. Ian Steedman has been professor of economics at Manchester University and Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He has a longstanding involvement in microeconomic theory, the history of economic thought and in the intersections among economics, ethics and social thought.

Introductory essay: developing an overview as context and future John Atherton Part 1: Political Economy 1. Economic theory and happiness Ian Steedman 2. Happiness, welfare and capabilities Carl-Henric Grenholm 3. Happiness through thrift: The contribution of business to human wellbeing Peter Heslam 4. Happiness, work and Christian theology Peter Sedgwick 5. Happiness isn't working, but it should be Malcolm Brown 6. Challenging inequality in a post-scarcity era: Christian contributions to egalitarian trends John Atherton 7. Fair trade and human wellbeing Michael Northcott Part 2: Contributions to Other Social Sciences 8. Religion and happiness: perspectives from the psychology of religion, positive psychology and empirical theology Leslie Francis 9. Ethnographic insights into happiness Jonathan Miles-Watson 10. Institutions, organisations and wellbeing Tony Berry 11. Religion, family form and the question of happiness Adrian Thatcher12. Mental health, spirituality and religion Peter Gilbert 13. The 'one in the morning' knock: exploring the connections between faith, participation and wellbeing Christopher Baker 14. Crime, wellbeing and society: Reflections on social, 'anti-social' and 'restorative' capital Christopher Jones 15. Supporting offenders: A faith based initiative Charlotte Lorimer Part 3: Reflections on Foundations 16. Human happiness as a common good: clarifying the issues Patrick Riordan 17. Being well in creation John Rodwell 18.The 'virtuous circle': Religion and the practices of happiness Elaine Graham 19 Well being - or resilience? Blurred encounters between theory and practice John Reader