Money, Morals, and Missions

Today I am very honored to be presenting one of the plenary lectures at the 2012 Faith and the Academy Conference. This year's theme is Money, Morals, and Missions. My lecture is entitled "Fruitful Dominion: Genesis 1 and the Free Society," and draws upon themes in my book, Foundations of Economics: A Christian View.

My main thesis is that fulfilling the material aspect of the cultural mandate found in the first chapters of Genesis requires economic development, which requires taking advantage of the division of labor, capital accumulation, and entrepreneurship. These engines of prosperity, in turn, require private property, which is why a free society is conducive to our fulfilling the cultural mandate.

My friend and department chair, Jeffrey Herbener, is also presenting remarks entitled, "The Ethics of Money Production: The Fed, Wall Street, and Sound Money." The full range of speakers and talks sounds very inviting.