Christians, Economics, and Public Choice
Paper Session
Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM (CST)
- Chair: Art Carden, Samford University
Godly Economics: Public Theology for an Age of Innovism
Abstract
One can be a serious Christian, favoring for all a turn towards God, and at the same time, without serious contradiction, a serious economic liberal, favoring for all an equality of permission under law. That is, one can be serious all round, advocating both for the divinity of Jesus and for the liberty of commerce. One can reject Satan in all his ever-popular forms, and yet also reject coerced collectivism in most of its own ever-popular forms. Christianity can entail obedience to a modest state pursuing a few reasonable public purposes. But it does not approve of top-down, all-wise, infantilizing governance by masterful humans of your economic or spiritual or any other life. And economic and political liberalism can contribute mightily to our Christianity. God’s economy does not undermine God’s will.The Comparative Endurance of Religion: A Public Choice Approach
Abstract
Throughout most of the 20th century, mainstream political economy has focused on the market-state dichotomy in the discussion social welfare; market failure frequently gives rise to coercive government proposals (e.g., Pigouvian taxes, subsidies) to fix misallocations. In recent decades, however, more attention has been paid to the role of community self-governance thanks to the work of Elinor Ostrom and scholars investigating how social norms govern society. Interestingly, the role of religious institutions has often been overlooked in these discussions despite the fact that classical liberal and mainline economic thinkers such as Adam Smith (see Book V of Wealth of Nations) and Alexis de Tocqueville saw them as essential components of a well-functioning society. Extending my work on religious endurance (Gill 2021), currently a book project, I argue that religious institutions offer a flexible form of social governance that enhance market transactions and overcome the unintended consequences of government, partially solving Buchanan’s “paradox of government” (1975). Running parallel to government, religious self-governance is a critical component of flourishing societies. Allowing for religious freedom is critically important for the smooth functioning of markets. Historical and contemporary evidence is pulled from Protestant evangelicalism, Mormonism, Islam, and underground churches in China.Discussant(s)
Anthony Gill
,
University of Washington
Edd S. Noell
,
Westmont College
Deirdre Nansen McCloskey
,
Cato Institute
Art Carden
,
Samford University
JEL Classifications
- D7 - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making
- Z1 - Cultural Economics; Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology