Review of Economics by Greg Forster

Economics

A Student’s Guide

Greg Forster

Series edited by David S. Dockery

Crossway

ISBN 978-1433539237

128pp, pbk, £8.99

More information: https://www.crossway.org/books/economics-tpb/

This book by Greg Forster, director of the Oikonomia Network at the Center for Transformational Churches at Trinity International University, is a welcome addition to Crossway’s Student Guide series.

Here Forster looks at the economy ‘through the lens of the Christian intellectual tradition, seeing these things as the church has seen them in the light of Scripture and the Spirit.’

He begins by differentiating between economics, the academic discipline that studies the economy, and the economy. The economy is more than money and material goods, it involves other economic resources such as time and, surprisingly, reputation.

He is clear that important as it is, life is not just economics.

The Bible does not provide an economic theory, any more than it provides a theory of quantum gravity. What it does is provide premises or presuppositions for economics. Forster contends:

‘According to Scripture we were made to be good stewards of God's world. … The two key concepts of stewardship in Genesis are cultivating and protecting… Thus us where a Christian view of the economy comes in.’

Thus, Forster takes seriously the cultural mandate and the need for development in the creation, where stewardship is a key factor.

In chapter 2 he looks at the role of justice and mercy in terms of integrity, fruitfulness, provision and compassion. He then moves on in Chapters 3-5 to look at Augustine, Aquinas and Luther to see what insights can be gleaned for economics. Surprising is the omission of any discussion of Calvin’s views.

In the final chapter, he notes that the world is dominated by economic ideologies. He makes an excellent point:

‘However, we would be equally naive to think that we can totally repudiate existing systems of economic thought and set up “Christian economics” against them. That is not how the Holy Spirit works. At Pentecost, the people of many nations did not hear the gospel preached in a totally new language. They heard it in their own languages, the existing languages of human culture. God does not remove us from cultural systems—which include systems of economic thinking—when he redeems us.’

 He makes a good case that in challenging the idolatries we do so ‘from the position of active and loving participation in the economic life and thinking of our communities’. This echoes the so-called LACE-approach of Andrew Basden. The need to listen and affirm before critiquing idolatries and then enriching (redeeming) the viewpoints,

 Areas discussed are the market, political intervention in the markets and the role of the state.

There is a list of further reading, but notable Christian economists such as Bob Goudzwaard and Alan Storkey are surprisingly absent from it.

The book takes seriously the discipline of economics and the economy from a Christian perspective, particularly welcome is the emphasis on stewardship and thus provides a good introduction to the subject.

Table of Contents:

1. The Economy: How We Steward the World Together

2. Justice and Mercy: Key Scriptural Teachings for Economic Arrangements

3. The Ancient Crisis: From Natural to Supernatural Economics

4. The Medieval Crisis: From Conventional to Reforming Economics

5. The Modern Crisis: From Static to Dynamic Economics

6. Economic Idols and Economic Wisdom: From Ideological Captivity to Theological Transformation

Further Reading