wealth

September 15, 2023

The Basic Principles of Wealth Creation Have Not Changed

The need for economic education has never been more apparent. In an inflationary economy with housing costs outpacing first-time homebuyer budgets, banking collapses, and a popping tech bubble, the need for sound economics is self-evident. Continue Reading...

November 02, 2022

The Christian’s Hard Affluence and Easy Hardship

From sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton’s worries over “moral therapeutic deism” in their 2005 book, to the Pew Research Center’s documentation of the growing trend of religious “nones” (people who claim no religious affiliation), to common claims that we now live in a “post-Christian” culture, the idea that religion and modern affluence cannot coexist has deep roots. Continue Reading...

August 02, 2022

A Reply to David Brooks: Don’t apologize for capitalism

In recent weeks, the New York Times has been running opinion pieces in which various columnists expound on a topic about which they have changed their views. On July 21 it was David Brooks’ turn to lay out his mea culpa. Continue Reading...

October 13, 2021

We need a ‘Forbes 400 Poorest Americans’ list

In the 1936 film My Man Godfrey, an oddly well-spoken “forgotten man” whose temporary lodgings are a city dump, finds himself the object of a game played by a pair of rich sisters, one of whom takes a fancy to him. Continue Reading...

July 15, 2021

A biblical theology of work, Part 2: Wealth creation

Wealth creation is a divine imperative, though one that generates significant responsibilities. The church fails on business and economics when leaders think only about the responsibilities of wealth and nothing at all about how that wealth is created – both are divine imperatives. Continue Reading...

August 22, 2017

The cramped morality of trade protectionism

“If a product is seen only as the opportunity for work, it is certain that the anxieties of protectionists are well founded.” –Frédéric Bastiat, Economic Sophisms Drawing inspiration from a 1847 essay by the inimitable Frédéric Bastiat, economist Donald Boudreaux tackles a popular argument from today’s trade protectionists: namely, “that protectionism is justified if enough consumers or voters are willing to pay higher prices in order to help workers.” Continue Reading...

June 29, 2017

Are slums a sign of human creativity and potential?

As humans, we are made in the image of God. We are co-creators, fashioned to produce and create, contribute and collaborate, give and receive, trade and exchange. Yet far too often, in our approaches to fighting poverty, we subscribe to a fundamental distortion of this reality, treating humans as mere consumers and “drains” on wealth and resources. Continue Reading...

May 19, 2017

A tale of two hypothetical presidents

Imagine a president who regularly steps on his own shoelaces and seems to waste power. This president inspires an especially venomous reaction from the press. They actually have contempt for him. Continue Reading...

April 11, 2017

Why the rule of law matters for human flourishing

In our efforts to reduce poverty, spur economic growth, and cultivate the conditions for human flourishing, the conversation can quickly be consumed with debates over material wealth and the allocation of physical resources. Continue Reading...

November 22, 2016

Thomas Sowell on poverty, politics, and the origins of prosperity

“The mundane progress driven by ordinary economic and social processes in a free society becomes dramatic only when its track record is viewed in retrospect over a span of years.” –Thomas Sowell In a recent edition of Uncommon Knowledge, economist Thomas Sowell discusses his latest book, Wealth, Poverty, and Politics, which provides a comprehensive argument for the origins of prosperity. Continue Reading...

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