The narrowing of 'economy' to refer only to money arrangements has gone along with a simliar narrowing in the meaning of 'wealth'. It derives from the old world 'weal' (meaning 'goodness'), the root from which terms such as 'welfare' (meaning 'well-being') derive. Wealth in this sense may be defined as the sum total of resources which enrich human living, relationships and service. Money, in turn, can be described as the 'effectual sign and symbol' of wealth. This sacramental language reflects the idea that although a banknote is in itself only a (very fancy) piece of paper, when used in exchange for goods it conveys its face value effectively; but it is not the goods themselves...money is not wealth in and of itself; wealth transcends having money in the bank. In societies where the cash economy is less significant, wealth may be measured by the number of cattle one owns, the food one grows, or the degree of influence carried by one's reputation. The accumulation of capital is limited in such societies, since it requires larger barns to be built to house the crop; large-scale capital accumulation is possible only in a society where money functions as the effective symbol of wealth.
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One distortion in modern capitalist systems is the way we have come to think of money as real in and of itself, so that money has become the barometer of wealth. In biblical terms, however, it is the created order and the gospel of Christ which constitute the divine 'wealth' God offers us, an 'inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading (1 Pe. 1:4)...We are to care for and promote the 'common weal', the good of the whole human community, local, regional, national and global (cf. Je. 29:1-7)...In this light, Christians should be as committed to justice and as critical of vested interests as any Marxist, but with greater realism about the difficulties involved, a more nuanced ethic, and a firmer hope.
-Charles Sherlock, The Doctrine of Humanity, pp. 106-107.
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