Christianity and Capitalism

by Richard Doster

It’s been a rough couple of years for free-market capitalism.

In Business as a Calling: Work and the Examined Life, theologian Michael Novak wonders if capitalism is “spiritually empty and corrosive of virtue.” The evidence, perhaps now more than at any time in the past 70 years, may tilt the scales in that direction.

In response to the recent turmoil, French president Nicolas Sarkozy has said, “Laissez-faire is finished. The all-powerful market that always knows best is finished.” And the Washington Post has declared, “The worst financial crisis since the Great Depression is claiming another casualty: American-style capitalism.”

Such a negative view of capitalism might perplex those in the Reformed-Calvinist community. According to David Hall and Matthew Burton, authors of Calvin and Commerce: The Transforming Power of Calvinism in Market Economies, it was John Calvin himself who laid the foundation for today’s market-based economy.

As Calvin’s theological heirs we know that economic decisions, like those in every category, stem from a worldview. They reflect our values and fundamental view of man, and while the Bible doesn’t prescribe a particular economic system it does, Hall and Burton tell us, provide a moral framework within which to make our choices. As Christians, our challenge is to recognize and—to the extent we’re able—create the system that fits best with what the Bible teaches.

So, in a fallen world that’s populated by sinful people, what realities should an economic system address? What good should it aspire to? And what truths—about God, man, and money—should be brought to bear? The answers could (and do) fill books. For now we’ll glance at six features of a realistic, healthy economic system.

For the rest of this article go to Can Christians Reclaim Capitalism? in byFaith Magazine.

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