Faithful Economics : The Moral Worlds of a Neutral Science

Economics is a value laden enterprise--and this despite the oft repeated claims of neutrality, objectivity, and the absence of bias. This volume explores the relationship between Christianity and economics, arguing that the two can and should be integrated. While no single Christian perspective drives the book, the authors do share in common a belief that scholarship shaped by Christian commitments is entirely appropriate and should be an integral part of the professional life of Christian economist. In particular, this volume demonstrates how Christianity shapes the worldview an economist brings to the task, the questions an economist asks, and the policies an economist advocates. Economics is a value laden enterpriseand this despite the oft repeated claims of neutrality, objectivity, and the absence of bias. This volume explores the relationship between Christianity and economics, arguing that the two can and should be integrated. While no single Christian perspective drives the book, the authors do share in common a belief that scholarship shaped by Christian commitments is entirely appropriate and should be an integral part of the professional life of Christian economists. In particular, this volume demonstrates how Christianity shapes the worldview an economist brings to the task, the questions an economist asks, and the policies an economist advocates. Christian perspectives and economic scholarship / James W. Henderson Faith informed scholarship / George M. Marsden The Christian economist as a mainstream scholar / Judith M. Dean Market behavior and Christian behavior / Rebecca M. Blank The economics of racial equality and justice / Glenn C. Loury A philosophy of economics / Michael Novak The theological meaning of economics / Robert H. Nelson The economic ethics of Jesus / David P. Gushee Christianity and economics : connections and continued progress / John Pisciotta. Economics is a value laden enterprise - and this despite the oft repeated claims of neutrality, objectivity, and the absence of bias. This volume explores the relationship between Christianity and economics, arguing that the two can and should be integrated. For the Christian perspective to become a relevant part of economic scholarship, economists must understand the appropriate ways to integrate their faith into their scholarship.