He must surely be dissatisfied by all the unanswered concerns and questions about globalisation's effect on the poor and on their

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He must surely be dissatisfied by all the unanswered concerns and questions about globalisation's effect on the poor and on their rural environments that I have just summarised.However just as there can be good capitalism so there can surely be good globalisation, rooted in the Judeao–Christian ethic.And there is considerable hope and evidence to suggest that the forces of good globalisation are gaining momentum and gaining ground.For example our own government, and particularly the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, deserve credit for publicly championing the policy of phasing out agricultural subsidies in rich countries and opening up agricultural export markets for developing countries. As Gordon Brown has said that offers the best and quickest route for reducing poverty. The British–led agreement at last year's World Trade Summit in Doha to this policy has the potential to be an enormous breakthrough in the battle for good globalisation.Meanwhile other significant breakthroughs are happening all the time.Take China, which is a major beneficiary of globalisation. A World Bank report published last year estimated that between 1993 and 1998 the number of Chinese citizens suffering from extreme poverty fell from 33% of the population to 17%. That's an escape from poverty for well over 100 million Chinese people.

There's good globalisation for you! Interestingly it's happening in a country where there's explosive growth in Christianity. The most reliable statistics suggest that there are now between 70–100 million Chinese Christians, and growing at the rate of about 30,000 new converts per day – a phenomenon I witnessed first hand when I visited the persecuted house churches of China a few months ago on behalf of Christian Solidarity Worldwide.I don't want to draw any sort of linkage or comparison between the spectacularly good effects of globalisation in China with the spectacularly good growth of Christianity there. Indeed I would want to make the opposite point that the Christian faith has little or nothing to do with systems defined by words that end in "ism" or "isation". But it does have everything thing to do with the hearts of the individuals who are leaders or workers in fields like capitalism or globalisation whether in China's market economy or anywhere else.This emphasis on human hearts brings me to the last of my alliterative subject headings:THE GOSPELSFinally I want to examine briefly the idea that there may be found in the Gospels some form of Christian theology which defines good business behaviour in the market economy. So far, even after reading Brian Griffiths, Michael Novak, David Prior and other advocates of the idea, I am unconvinced of the existence of this market place theology even though I am totally convinced by the Christian teachings that define good personal behaviour – period.Perhaps we need to remember that Jesus was neither a capitalist nor even a member of the property owning democracy. From his birth in a borrowed manager to his burial in a borrowed tomb he was a man unencumbered by possessions. Yet he stirred the conscience of many who had great possessions.

From the rich young man who went away sorrowful to Zaccheus the corrupt tax collector Jesus had an uncomfortable effect on the prosperous Not because he was against wealth. Indeed one of his parables encouraged us to use our talents for creating wealth. But he was extremely critical of those whose hearts were so in love with treasure on earth that they failed to love their neighbours or their God.For me the subtlest and deepest of the teachings of Jesus that relate to the market economy are found in Luke Chapter 12 and if I may I will read you just four verses of it because it will remind us of a certain type of capitalist with whom we are all familiar.Luke 1216–21And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.

Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'"But God said to him 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God."Now many hearers of that parable in secular Britain may be puzzled by it. What exactly did the rich man do wrong?In contemporary terms he fattened up his pension and enjoyed himself on the golf course and in the best restaurants. We might even speculate that he got on to The Sunday Times Rich List Nothing wrong with that many will think BUT:1 He confused enough with excess2 He was hoarder not a giver3 His materialism had no purpose beyond hedonism4 He was a creature of time with no understand of eternity5. He put himself first and God a very poor secondConsider a practitioner in the market economy who reverses all those positions: Someone who is satisfied with enough; who is a generous giver; who has a moral purpose underpinning their materialism; who thinks of the day of judgment and the next world of eternity beyond it and who puts God before all else.Such a person would have no difficulty in reconciling a life in the market economy with the teachings of the Christian gospel.. The Speaker's reputation has done well recently Too well in my view. He's credited with "hauling a reluctant Prime Minister into the House" to make a statement on the recent reshuffle.