IS THE MARKET MORAL? The Pew Forum Dialogues on Religion and Public Life E.J. Dionne Jr., Jean Bethke Elshtain, Kayla M. Drogosz Series Editors This book series is a joint project of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the Brookings Institution. The Pew Forum (www.pewforum.org) seeks to promote a deeper understanding of how religion shapes the ideas and institutions of American society. At a time of heightened interest in religion’s public role and responsibilities, the Forum bridges the worlds of scholarship, public policy, and journalism by creating a platform for research and discussion of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs. The Forum explores how religious institutions and individuals contribute to civic life while honoring America’s traditions of religious liberty and pluralism. Based in Washington, D.C., the Forum is co-chaired by E. J. Dionne Jr., senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Jean Bethke Elshtain, Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics at the University of Chicago. The Forum is supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts through a grant to Georgetown University. The Pew Forum Dialogues on Religion and Public Life are short volumes that bring together the voices of scholars, journalists, and policy leaders engaged simultaneously in the religious and policy realms. The core idea behind the dialogues is a simple one: There are many authentically expert voices addressing important public questions who speak not only from their knowledge of the policy issues at stake, but also from a set of moral concerns, often shaped by their religious commitments. Our goal is to find these voices and invite them to join in dialogue. other titles in this series Lifting Up the Poor: A Dialogue on Religion, Poverty, and Welfare Reform Mary Jo Bane and Lawrence M. Mead Liberty and Power: A Dialogue on Religion and U.S. Foreign Policy in an Unjust World (forthcoming) J. Bryan Hehir, Michael Walzer, Louise Richardson, Shibley Telhami, Charles Krauthammer, and James Lindsay One Electorate under God? A Dialogue on Religion and American Politics (forthcoming) Mario Cuomo, Mark Souder, and others IS THE MARKET MORAL? A DIALOGUE ON RELIGION, ECONOMICS, AND JUSTICE Rebecca M. Blank William McGurn brookings institution press Washington, D.C. about brookings The Brookings Institution is a private nonprofit organization devoted to research, education, and publication on important issues of domestic and foreign policy. Its principal purpose is to bring knowledge to bear on current and emerging policy problems. The Institution maintains a position of neutrality on issues of public policy. Interpretations or conclusions in Brookings publications should be understood to be solely those of the authors. Copyright © 2004 the brookings institution georgetown university All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the Brookings Institution Press, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 (fax: 202/797-6195 or e-mail: