Is Capitalism Christian?
June 9, 2006
Michael Kruse, when he isn’t thinking about soccer, has some interesting thought on the relationship between Christianity and capitalism.
Kruse Kronicle: Theology and Economics: Is Capitalism Christian?
If the question is whether or not free market capitalism emerged from a society with a distinctively Christian ethos, then the answer would clearly be “Yes.” The ideas of human beings created in the image of God, linear time, progress, future orientation, and vision oriented ethics, were the soil from which capitalism grew. This is NOT to say that free market capitalism is the best of all economic systems that can, or ever will be, conceived. It is merely to acknowledge the roots from which it sprang.
In my business-building past, I suspect I have been guilty of idolizing capitalism; my only defense is that capitalism beats any other economic model that I know of.
Dave, putting Christianity first and capitalism second (I hope!)
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