Now that I’ve finished my PhD, I’m researching more about the connections between theology, economics, and justice. I’m especially interested in how Christians have engaged these issues in the past. I’m currently reading Esther Chung-Kim’s Economics of Faith, and will review it for the journal Faith and Economics. Chung-Smith summarizes how, during the Reformation, both…

Christianity & Slavery

As a historian, I love learning about all the messiness of history. Many of the things we take for granted are not so simple. The history of Christianity and slavery is one of those areas. Professor Rodney Stark challenges one standard narrative:

Bishop Clemens Count von Galen – Speaking Truth to Nazi Power

One of my favorite books is The Christian Almanac, by Dr. George Grant and Greg Wilbur. If you don’t have a copy, you should put it on your Christmas list now! There is an entry for every day of the year, with a main biography, or summary of an important historical event, along with a…

This Thanksgiving, Be Thankful the Pilgrims Tried Communism–And It Didn’t Work

The “first Thanksgiving” is one of the treasured legends of our American beginnings. You can Google the real story later. Less well-known is the Pilgrim’s failed experiment with communism. In these historically-ignorant times, when socialism and communism are sexy again, we can be thankful that the Pilgrims tried a type of communal labor and community ownership–and…

Gospel Economics

Christians must engage the world, engage business, and engage economics. But we must do it according to the logic of the Gospel. William Cavanaugh observes: “Christians who are called to witness to a different kind of economics have no choice but simply to enact this economics now, in history, beginning in the concrete, local experience…

God vs. Santa

Yale theologian Miroslav Volf has a trenchant comparison between God (as revealed in the Bible) and Santa Claus: “Some scholars of popular religion describe Santa as a god of consumerist materialism whose sole purpose is to give … A Santa Claus God demands nothing from us.  A divine Santa is the indiscriminately giving and inexhaustibly…

Gift, Grace, and Human Flourishing

I’m thoroughly enjoying Miroslav Volf’s Free of Charge:  Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace.  Though I’ve read many quotes from Volf over the years, he’s one of those writers I just haven’t had time to engage directly. Free of Charge promises to be worth some careful attention.  Volf has a unique perspective…

How Deep Is Your Love? (or Your Fear?)

Convicting words from Jack Miller, one of the most passionate writers and practitioners of evangelism:  “God has called His church to be a welcoming church, to stand as His representatives on earth and welcome everyone to His heavenly banquet.  He wants the love and compassion of the gospel to be heard from our lips.  If…

Preserving & Conserving

My former teacher, Dr. Peter Leithart, has some valuable commentary on a well-known Biblical phrase:  “Do not move an ancient landmark” (Prov. 23:10). Leithart writes: “Preserving the ancient landmarks” didn’t mean preserving the status of the powerful; Israel was to be “conservative” in order to protect the rights of the poor. They were to preserve the…

Courageous Advocacy

Courageous Advocacy:
 How God’s People Speak Up for the Voiceless Not everyone is called to adopt and not every orphan is available for adoption. Still, because of God’s mercy and His demonstration of adoptive love, we are called to care for orphans. We are all called to imitate God. You may find the following categories…