Tag: Theologians and Economists
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Theologians and Economists: Parable of the Talents (2)
[Series Index] In the previous post, we looked at the cultural and Scriptural context for the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30. What are we to make of this parable? The first thing I would draw attention to is the relationship of the wealthy man to his servants/slaves. One talent was equivalent to about twenty…
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Theologians and Economists: Reading Scripture in Context
[Series Index] In my previous post, I wrote that economics is not in the Bible. Many terms central to economics can't even be translated into Greek or Latin. Certainly, people of the Old and New Testament eras labored, traded, and used money, but they did not see what we would call economic activity as a…
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Theologians and Economists: Remedial Justice
[Series Index] In addition to distributive justice and commutative justice, there is also the issue of remedial justice. Remedial justice addresses just compensation and punitive action when malicious or careless damage has been done to life, liberty, or property. Someone must be reasonably certain that the fruits of their labor will not be taken by…
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Theologians and Economists: Commutative Justice
[Series Index] Commutative Justice is about honest and just economic transactions. It is a major theme in both Testaments of the Bible. From the Old Testament: Lev 19:11 NRSV You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. Lev 19:13 NRSV You shall not defraud your neighbor;…
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Theologians and Economists: Distributive Justice
[Series Index] Reading the legal codes in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, it is clear private property was taken for granted. One of the Ten Commandments was "Thou shall not steal." Numerous references exist for appropriate restitution when someone's property has been taken or damaged. Private property was central to Old Testament economic life. However,…
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Theologians and Economists: Economic Justice
(Today, we return to this series after a two-week hiatus due to duties with the Presbyterians. 🙂 ) [Series Index] In recent posts, I've been suggesting some biblical themes that need to be a part of deliberations on theology and economics. God created humanity for dominion. It is our mission. Our relationship to material things…
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Theologians and Economists: Creation Implications
[Series Index] Today we turn a corner in our discussion of theologians and economists. Most economists (academic ones, anyway) live and work in positive economics … they study the world as it is and attempt to model how economic realities work. Theology is largely a study of normative behavior … we want to discern how…
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Theologians and Economists: A Mission of Stewardship and Redemption
[Series Index] I wrote in the previous post that shalom is God’s vision for us. So what is our mission in relation to the vision that God has given us? I suggest that it is a twofold mission: stewardship and redemption. (I’m riffing here on John Stackhouse’s formulations.) Stewardship Our mission of stewardship is in…
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Theologians and Economists: Knowing the “Common Good”
[Series Index] Each Sunday, Christians around the world gather and pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." It is both a request for an outcome and a statement of commitment to that outcome … to give witness to the coming shalom of the new creation. The previous…
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Theologians and Economists: Self-Interest Versus Selfishness
[Series Index] “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This injunction is mentioned once in the Old Testament (Lev. 19:18), and seven times in the New Testament (Matt. 19:19, 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8) It is the core Christian ethic for relating to others. The antithesis of loving others is selfishness.…