The book “Choosing Hope. How to Spiritualize the Economy?” by Luk Bouckaert was published in Dutch. (Kies voor Hoop. Hoe spiritualiteit de economie kan veranderen. Garant, Antwerpen, 2017)

In his book Luk Bouckaert argues that the current search for spirituality is an effort within secularized societies to reconnect with a metaphysic of hope. In periods of crisis and deep change, when there is no longer consensus about the goals and values of life, we need a deeper spiritual ground for hope. Rational theories of happiness – of which economics is part - do not suffice to overcome the disorder and lack of convergence in periods of deep change. This does not mean that we do not have wishes or goals nor that we do not have any interest in their realization. But the spiritual source of hope starts from something that is prior to our desires and goals and makes sense independently from their fulfilment. We may call this awareness of meaning prior to our wishes and desires the disclosure of Life as a meaningful Presence.  Not life as it is filtered and conceptualized through our needs, mental capabilities and imagination. But life as it is intuitively experienced as a given, sense making Presence that always creates new opportunities and hope despite the many failures and disappointments.