Doctrinal Contribution, Retrospective

Catholic Finance : the French doctrine in full inspiration

In a very erudite book review published this year in the fourth issue of the journal Society, Law and Religion, Jean-François Boudet, professor in public law at the Paris Descartes University and author of many books, took stock, inter alia, on recent developments in the French doctrine in the field “of” Catholic finances.
Thus, among others, Mr de Lauzun helped to identify the sources of money in the Gospels and in the social doctrine of the Church, and it shows “with intelligence and personal commitment” the foundations and financial practices on the one hand and the “financial tools that are never neutral in his other hand.” Mrs Jonveaux has, meanwhile, studied the monastic economy through sociological and historical investigations. Mr. Sitbon set out “that the Bible carries an economic model of development based on solidarity” whereas Mr. Seyer is interested especially in Christian behavior towards money and Mr. Cuny de la Verryère’searches concern the foundations of the Catholic finance in parallel to Islamic finance.

Regarding the latter work, Mr. Boudet continues its analysis by stating that, despite many critics, the result is “clearly a success and could well be a thesis work in the sense that Mr. Cuny de la Verryère defends an idea (and, especially, his essay includes several appendices, texts and documents in support of his argument and a glossary and a bibliography of sources used). The book is accessible to students, scholars or practitioners and no need to be a Christian to understand this multidisciplinary undertaking. It is therefore an important work that goes beyond the theological reflection to try to define what is the Catholic finance throughout history, economics, law and Catholic dogma. ”

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1- Boudet J.-F. (2014), « Note de lecture sur Antoine R. Cuny De La Verryère, Finance catholique. Au fondement de la finance éthique et solidaire », in Revue Société, Droit & Religions, n°4/2014, p.145-150.
2- Boudet J.-F., ibid., p. 146
3- Lauzun (de) P. (2012), Finance : un regard chrétien (de la banque mé­diévale à la mondialisation financière), Embrasure, Paris.
4- Jonveaux I. (2013), Le monastère au travail. Le royaume de Dieu au défi de l’économie. Préface D. Hervieu-Léger, Paris, 615 p.
5- Sitbon R. (2013), L’économie selon la Bible. Vers un modèle de développement. Préface J. Eisenberg, Eyrolles, Paris, 237 p.
6- Seyer V. (2012), L’argent dans nos vies de chrétiens, Le Laurier, Pars, n°285, 104 p.
7- Boudet J.-F., ibid., p. 147.

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