Tuesday 26th February
The Simeon Society hosted Jeremy Marshall, CEO of Hoare’s Bank on the 26th February, who gave an address on ‘Where the city went wrong’. As a Christian working in the city, Mr Marshall emphasised the values of stewardship which he holds whilst at work, stating that bankers are not using their own money, but caring for the money of others and the gifts that have been given to them by God.
He also argued that the clamp down and regulation in the city after the financial crash would ultimately be unsuccessful; adherence to rules is one thing, but Mr Marshall felt that complete and satisfactory change would only be achieved by a change of heart and a return to a simple system. He went on to explain that a great deal of Jesus’ teaching focused on the issue of money, more so even that it focuses on the idea of redemption from sins, and therefore a Christian can find concrete examples and lessons to learn from in this field.
Mr Marshall then gave examples of various economists with what he would call Christian theories on the economy, those focusing on stewardship and simplicity, followed by companies which embodied the ideals he supported. John Lewis was his prime example: he explained that profit here was not the goal to be achieved at the cost of everything else; the company wishes to support its workers rather than to exploit them for profit.
The audience greatly enjoyed what was a different talk for the Simeon Society, and found Mr Marshall’s thoughts both accessible and persuasive, applying Christian theory to a rather particular area, but one which, it would seem, is of great relevance to surprisingly many OEs.
Will Tilston (College)
