This is the first of four papers developed by the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy ACSWP and made available to the church for study, reflection and feedback on issues related to globalization and international trade and the church’s advocacy on trade issues in the public arena. In this paper, Gordon Douglass examines the impact of economic growth and the challenges brought by the new political dynamic experienced in globalization. This paper serves to define economic globalization and introduces the theological and ethical considerations for the foloowing three papers in this series.