In part one we wrote about Jesus’ parable of the vineyard to show that God invested his creation with metaphysical capital. In this post we will elaborate on another kind of capital, moral capital. Michael Novak, the economist and economic philosopher, describes the need for a moral ecology, a systemic
Food seems like an unlikely ingredient for cultural transformation (read discipling). But it clearly is. In a time when the Right seems hellbent on raping the planet and the Left is fixated on “climate change” there is a sane middle. There are voices speaking and hands working in their own communities
Poverty is rooted in lies at the level of culture. One of the greatest causes of poverty in the world is the lie that “Work is a curse!” This lie is manifest globally in the lives of individuals, communities and nations. Yes, you read that correctly. The economic poverty of
I recently came across this thoughtful blog post by my friend Jim Mullins at Redemption Church in Tempe, Arizona. I passed it around at the DNA global secretariat office, and it was fun to hear many stories from my colleagues about the servant-hearted maintenance workers who made lasting impressions on
This is post 4 of 10 in the series “wisdom” Wisdom book preview Poverty: The Fruit of Neglected Wisdom What Wisdom Has to Do with Wealth Creation Laws: Wisdom Sustains the Universe Wisdom Sustains the Universe Through Human Obedience Wisdom is Better Than Knowledge Wisdom: The False and the True
I lived for many years with a weak grasp of God’s intentions for the world. I was a missionary. My job was to evangelize, teach the Bible, gather believers, and develop leaders. When a missionary suffers from this limitation of vision, the fallout affects other people. The story of Dan
[The following post, refreshed from its original publication, is highly relevant to the current political-economic environment.] The global economic crisis is, at its root, a moral and metaphysical crisis. Our economic principles and polices are founded on assumptions which are either theistic or atheistic. One set of assumptions fits reality the
[Gary Brumbelow and Darrow Miller recently exchanged email about Francis Schaeffer’s 1974 seminal book, Pollution and the Death of Man. Their (slightly edited) conversation is offered here in hopes of being of value to our readers.] Gary: I have just finished reading Pollution and the Death of Man by Francis Schaeffer. I came
Work and Wealth In the biblical framework of oikonomia, work and the creation of wealth are intrinsically good and are to contribute to the end – the telos – to which all of history is moving: the Glory of God, and the return of Christ and his kingdom. The work
Oikonomia vs. Chrematistics In direct opposition to what those possessing a GCU (Great Commission Utilitarianism) mindset state, God’s ends reveals that human beings are placed on earth for economic purposes: to be the catalysts to allow families, communities and nations to reach their fruition. We see this unfold in the
