“Following a fascinating account of secular responses to Catholic thinking regarding emerging challenges of banking and finance, Pierre de Lauzun, a man with comprehensive, high-level practical experience in this complex field, helps us identify how we may most effectively redirect finance toward the common good. A true masterpiece, and indispensable reading.”
—MICHEL CAMDESSUS
former IMF chief, former Governor of the Bank of France, member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
“Among the many points Pierre de Lauzun makes in this book on finance in the light of Christian faith, what stands out is the vital importance of the Social Doctrine of the Church (SDC) as a critical anchor point for our times (far more so than many of the SRI and ESG investment policies currently on the rise). For this reason it is crucial that the SDC becomes better known, acknowledged, and adopted by people of goodwill. De Lauzun’s book (particularly the rich historical perspective it offers) is perfectly suited to serve this need.”
—JEAN-BAPTISTE DE FRANSSU
Chairman of the IOR (Vatican bank)
“Pierre de Lauzun’s Finance, a Christian Perspective provides a crucial insider’s analysis of participation in the modern marketplace from the standpoint of the common good. Beginning from the origins of modern finance in medieval Europe, de Lauzun highlights the role to be played by market participants with a Christian understanding, including investors, managers, and financiers. Throughout the work he speaks with the voice of a seasoned participant in financial markets as well as that of a faithful student of Catholic social teaching. An essential contribution.”
—GLADDEN PAPPIN
University of Dallas, deputy editor of American Affairs
“Finance and the financial sector are a vital part of modern economies, but are at the same time one of the industries least understood by Christians of all confessions. In this prize-winning book, Pierre de Lauzun offers a much-needed explanation of finance in the context of Christian ethics. I warmly recommend it to all who want to understand the importance of finance, its advantages, and its potential pitfalls.”
—SAMUEL GREGG
Research Director, Acton Institute, and author of For God and Profit: How Banking and Finance Serve the Common Good
“When economists talk of markets, they are almost invariably thinking of the abstract interactions of people who wish to maximize their wealth and leisure time, and minimize the labor needed to acquire those coveted goods. De Lauzun presents quite a different vision, based on the history of markets and the reflections of pre-modern philosophers. In this vision, virtue occupies the center, not the periphery. De Lauzun’s defense of real markets, as against the distorted version presented by economists, is persuasive, but the author’s primary goal is even more ambitious: he means to defend his own trade—finance—from the prevalent accusation that it is by nature rapacious and structurally anti-social. His case is based on the valid social purposes of finance: to bridge responsibly from today’s economy to that of the future.”
—EDWARD HADAS
Research Fellow at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford, former Economics Editor at Reuters Breakingviews
PIERRE DE LAUZUN has worked in banking and finance at many levels—from the Paris Club at the French Treasury, to acting CEO of major banking institutions, to Chairman of the International Council of Securities Associations. Throughouthis financial career he has also led a life of personal reflection on philosophical, economic, political, and religious issues, resulting, to this point, in no fewer than 16 books.
