Applying Judeo-Christian Principles to Contemporary Economic Issues

That Christian Scripture, the social teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, and other Christian theological systems contain transhistorical normative principles intended for application to contemporary socioeconomic life is a common claim. An instance of this approach is illustrated by a selection of Protestant economists. They argue that particular principles can be derived from scriptural exegesis intended to guide the organization of employment in advanced capitalist economies. The methodology employed in this undertaking is demonstrated. The second section takes the form of an elaborate Bible study. It utilizes the work of biblical exegetes to show how the economists in question deduce a particular normative principle intended to inform the organization of business firms. The third section discusses how this principle might be applied in the advanced capitalist economy. The methodology underlying the entire enterprise has been criticized, and the validity of the critique is assessed in the final section.Cara Beed and Clive Beed, "Applying Judeo-Christian Principles to Contemporary Economic Issues," Journal of Markets & Morality 8, no. 1 (Spring 2005): 53-7