Beyond Marx and the Market: Outcomes of a Century of Economic Experimentation

by Klaus Nürnberger

This book presents an unbiased assessment of the respective merits and demerits of the variety of capitalist and socialist economic systems as they have existed in the 20th century. In non-technical language, the author provides a lucid overview of capitalism, social democracy, Marxism-Leninism and their different variations, placing each into its historical context. The author does not inundate the reader with facts, but rather helps the reader explore contrasting arguments at the more fundamental level of philosophical issues and ideology. The books aims to clarify thinking about appropriate economic institutions at a time when the Soviet socialist model has been discredited and yet the capitalist model has failed to overcome poverty, economic marginalization, resource depletion and ecological deterioration.

278 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 1999

About the author

"I sometimes think of myself as a "residual colonialist" – a Westerner dropped in Africa by birth and entangled with Africa without his consent. What am I doing here? Well, this is my home and I love it.klaus-thumb

I am a Christian. A Lutheran. A committed ecumenist. I believe that there is only one church of Christ, but there are various gifts to serve each other, and various insights to correct and enrich each other.

I am a theologian. But I also have a natural sciences and economics background. My passion has been to translate the biblical message into thought patterns of today. I work on an interdisciplinary basis.

I have been called to serve a predominantly black church in South Africa. African traditional spirituality, its interaction with modernity and the social consequences have fascinated and challenged me.

As a privileged person I am afflicted by the discrepancies in income and life chances between economic centres and peripheries. I devoted a considerable part of my career on causes and possible remedies.

With many of my generation I have witnessed the agonies and conflicts produced by nationalism, colonialism and apartheid. I cannot shake off the burden of my belonging to the perpetrators.

On the website you will find a list of my publications, abstracts of my major books, some ad hoc 'position papers' on selected themes, chapters from recent books, and a few recent sermons and songs.

Here follows my life story for those who need to know more."