The Global Political Economy and the Abrahamic Religions: Disciplining Human Behavior for Stable and Sustainable Global Financial Order

Abstract

This chapter critically examines the failings of the global economic and financial system and advocates for integrating moral values from Abrahamic religions into economic thought and policy. It argues that neoliberal capitalism, driven by financial oligarchies, speculative returns, and debt-based consumption, undermines equity, democracy, and sustainability. The chapter critiques the rationalist “Homo economicus” model and calls for normative frameworks grounded in ethics, human dignity, and accountability to divine authority. Islamic economic principles—risk-sharing, prohibition of interest, and social responsibility—are offered as an alternative. It highlights the unsustainability of finance decoupled from the real economy and calls for integrity-focused regulatory transformation. With global development goals off-track, the chapter proposes a values-based, inclusive economic order rooted in divine ethics, emphasizing stewardship, solidarity, and shared prosperity.