Posts Tagged ‘Adam Smith’
Jason Jewell on Why Christians Should Read the “Great Books”
How could reading Plato’s “Euthydemus” have helped a Protestant pastor avoid seriously embarassing her profession and faith at an Applebee’s restaurant? Returning guest, Prof. Jason Jewell of Faulkner University, explains how Christians should not rely upon just The Bible for helping to frame their worldview. Jason explains how he is in the process of reading through the Great Books, what constitutes a Great Book, what Great Books can tell us, and how you can join him on this intellectual journey. A fantastic podcast interview for homeschoolers.
Visit Jason Jewell’s blog for more information (click [read more] to access the blog) about how you can read along with the Great Books at home.
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Chris Beneke on Religion, Markets, and the Founding Era
To what extent is the term “market” useful in describing or understanding religion, particularly during the era of America’s founding in the late 18th century? We take up this discussion with Prof. Chris Beneke of Bentley University who recently wrote a paper about the use of the “free market” metaphor. We talk about the use of economics to study religion as well as whether the Founding Fathers intended to create a laissez faire landscape for religious competition.
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Larry Witham on the Economics of Religion
Author Larry Witham takes an outsider’s look at the “economics of religion,” a relatively new academic perspective on understanding religious behavior and institutions. We trace the history of this academic school from Adam Smith to contemporary times and investigate how the logic of economics can help explain behavior at the level of the household, organization and market. The economics of religion is not just about financial concerns, but deals with how religiously-motivated individuals achieve their goals (including evangelization) in a world of scarcity. The basic assumptions and premises of the approach are examined, as are the critiques of the approach.
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