The emergence of social enterprise is one of the most interesting developments in recent years for anyone interested in the relationship between faith, economics and business. Beyond representing the disintegration of the boundary that previously separated business from charities, the definition of what a social enterprise might be is diverse and contested. Is it the efficiency of business solutions in meeting social needs where governments and charities have failed? Or is it a re-imagining of the fundamental purpose of all business - to do good alongside doing well? We will explore the implications of looking at this conversation through a theological lens. How does our understanding of who God is and what it means to be human impact our understanding of the relationship between social transformation and business?

Mark is studying for a PhD in economics and theology at King’s College, London, considering the role of social enterprise in an alternative economic imagination. He works freelance in management consultancy.