Theological Critique of Global Capitalism: A Christian Economic Ethics Analysis in the Context of Social Inequality Kritik Teologis terhadap Kapitalisme Global: Analisis Etika Ekonomi Kristen dalam Konteks Ketimpangan Sosial
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Abstract
Penelitian ini mengkaji implikasi etis kapitalisme global melalui lensa etika ekonomi Kristen, dengan fokus pada perannya dalam menghasilkan ketimpangan sosial struktural. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengembangkan kritik teologis terhadap kapitalisme global dan membangun kerangka etis konstruktif yang berlandaskan prinsip-prinsip Kristen. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dan interdisipliner, penelitian ini mengintegrasikan teori-teori ekonomi tentang ketimpangan dengan analisis teologis-etis untuk mengatasi kesenjangan antara studi ekonomi empiris dan refleksi teologis normatif. Temuan penelitian ini mengungkapkan bahwa ketimpangan dalam kapitalisme global bukanlah hal yang insidental melainkan tertanam secara struktural, didorong oleh akumulasi modal, hubungan kekuasaan yang asimetris, dan pengaturan institusional yang mengistimewakan modal di atas tenaga kerja. Teologi Kristen menawarkan kerangka kritis yang berlandaskan pada konsep keadilan, martabat manusia, dan solidaritas, dengan doktrin imago Dei yang menegaskan nilai intrinsik setiap manusia dan opsi preferensial untuk orang miskin yang mengungkap ketidakcukupan moral dari sistem yang melanggengkan marginalisasi.
This study examines the ethical implications of global capitalism through the lens of Christian economic ethics, focusing on its role in producing structural social inequality. The purpose of this research is to develop a theological critique of global capitalism and construct a constructive ethical framework grounded in Christian principles. Drawing on qualitative and interdisciplinary approaches, the research integrates economic theories of inequality with theological-ethical analysis to address the gap between empirical economic studies and normative theological reflection. The findings reveal that inequality in global capitalism is not incidental but structurally embedded, driven by capital accumulation, asymmetrical power relations, and institutional arrangements that privilege capital over labor. Christian theology offers a critical framework grounded in the concepts of justice, human dignity, and solidarity, with the doctrine of imago Dei affirming the intrinsic worth of every human being and the preferential option for the poor exposing the moral inadequacy of systems that perpetuate marginalization. This study proposes a constructive ethical framework consisting of three key principles: justice as structural transformation, solidarity as economic practice, and human dignity as the central evaluative standard.
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