This is the final in our three-part series of edited excerpts from Prof. Bob Goudzwaard’s speech to CPJ’s AGM in May, 2011. In the first portion, Prof. Goudzwaard explored five characteristics of globalisation that have emerged since the millennium. The second part examined the hardening of globalisation and the growing power of illusion; two cultural trends which Prof. Goudzwaard believes to be crucial to understanding our current reality. This final segment explores the Christian response to these troubled times. Read more »
This is the second in our three-part series of edited excerpts from Prof. Bob Goudzwaard’s speech to CPJ’s AGM in May of this year. The first part explored five trends of globalisation Prof. Goudzwaard has identified: emerging powers, bilateralism and growing scarcities, the revolts in Arab countries, growing indebtedness, and the lordship of money. Stay tuned for the final section exploring the Christian response to these troubled times in the coming weeks! Read more »
In May, 2011 CPJ was pleased to welcome Prof. Bob Goudzwaard to our AGM to give a talk about ‘Living Faithfully in a Rapidly Changing World.’ The following is the first in a three-part series of edited excerpts from Prof. Goudzwaard’s speech, a look at five key trends of globalisation that he has identified. Stay tuned for more as the summer progresses! Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 - 1:44PM
0 comments
My mother-in-law passed me Empire of Illusion by Chris Hedges, saying “You just have to read this one.” The next day, before I had even had the chance to crack the covers, Bob Goudzwaard referenced the book twice in his AGM speech, calling it “a most excellent little book.” With two such ringing endorsements, I could hardly put off reading the book. And having done so, I would echo Bob Goudzwaard: it is indeed a most excellent book.
Empire of Illusion is a stinging indictment of our celebrity-obsessed, narcissistic culture that has lost sight of how the values we preach have been perverted and replaced with consumerism, corporatism and militarism. Hedges laments the state of democracy, the power of corporations and the wealthy, the growing class divide, the unwillingness or inability of our elites to stop the slide, and the illiteracy and obsession with illusion over reality that prevent most of us from identifying the problems. Read more »
Where is our world heading? What is a Christian response to this direction? Is hope possible in these seemingly dark times?
These are all questions that Bob Goudzwaard, a long-time friend of CPJ explored on Thursday, May 12 following CPJ’s Annual General Meeting in Toronto. We give you the highlights of his talk and those of the response by Toronto City Councillor Joe Mihevc. Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 - 1:39PM
2 comments
I have been amazed and not a little disturbed to see the narrative shift leading up to the G8 and G20 meetings that the time for stimulus is past and the time for government cuts has arrived. Among other pieces, this recent Macleans story is reflective of this trend. It forecasts a V-shaped economic recovery, for which it blames growing government debt and prescribes greater government austerity. However, at least it acknowledges the heavy socio-economic impact to be paid by cutting stimulus spending: high unemployment combined with the loss of valuable social programs.
The problem with this analysis, according to Paul Krugman, the US economist, is that cutting spending now will barely make a dent in the debt, while simultaneously increasing unemployment. Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Thursday, November 13th, 2008 - 11:54AM
0 comments
There is news this morning that rather than awaiting recession, the countries of the developed world are already in recession. Fear is pervasive, as hopeful reports of expected recovery are continuously dashed. What sense are we to make of this crisis?
Bob Goudzwaard, CPJ member and friend, has a post on the Empire Remixed blog looking at the nature of this crisis and what it reveals. Read more »
The following piece is an excerpt from “Towards a New Vision of Common Security,” an address given by Bob Goudzwaard at the Institute for Christian Studies’ Worldview Conference in October 2007. It builds on themes found in the recently-released book Hope in Troubled Times, co-authored by Bob Goudzwaard, Mark Vander Vennen and David Van Heemst.
This speech explored “the issue of accelerated climate change, especially in its cultural roots, and then [made] a link to the heart of the Gospel.” Read more »
Citizens for Public Justice and Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, are pleased to announce the release of a new book, Hope in Troubled Times: A New Vision for Confronting Global Crisis. Read more »
"Caught up in the pursuit of prosperity and security, our ideology of presperity has evoked its gods (economic growth, technological development, scientific advancement, and unrestricted expansion of the market or the state). But our gods have betrayed us! They require sacrifices in exchange for providing us with material prosperity - mounting poverty, destruction of health and the environment, relentless elimination of jobs and reduction of the quality of work...."Read more »
This is the final in our three-part series of edited excerpts from Prof. Bob Goudzwaard’s speech to CPJ’s AGM in May, 2011. In the first portion, Prof. Goudzwaard explored five characteristics of globalisation that have emerged since the millennium. The second part examined the hardening of globalisation and the growing power of illusion; two cultural trends which Prof. Goudzwaard believes to be crucial to understanding our current reality. This final segment explores the Christian response to these troubled times. 
In May, 2011 CPJ was pleased to welcome Prof. Bob Goudzwaard to our AGM to give a talk about ‘Living Faithfully in a Rapidly Changing World.’ The following is the first in a three-part series of edited excerpts from Prof. Goudzwaard’s speech, a look at five key trends of globalisation that he has identified. Stay tuned for more as the summer progresses! 
