The Economics of the Sacred



Maybe this is the start of something, an article about the role of (my field) economics in Christianity. I've always thought they are almost one and the same.

A business deal, a contract, is successful when both sides see a benefit. Becoming a devoted Christian happens when the faith benefits by the person signing on and the person perceives a benefit from joining. It's understood money changes hands.

The Bible, we all know, has plenty about economics, wealth and money in general. There are ideas about proper salaries. Plenty about the income redistribution that happens in virtually every country. There is a story about the profit that comes from a harvest after sewing grain. While some repeat the Bible tells us money is the root of evil, it's OK when some is given in the tithe. 

There is a preacher in the Missouri Synod Lutherans who studied economics and alludes to it often. He points out to the stubborn status quo preachers in the denomination that to stop the loss of membership it needs to start more new churches. To start more new churches the cost of the startups has to be lower than it is. He is precisely correct but mostly unsuccessful in finding like minded leaders.

How can Christianity reverse its slide? I think it could be helped by requiring economics classes in its seminaries.


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