We live in an unprecedented time in human history.

The number of people living in abject poverty is decreasing at an unprecedented rate. Capitalism has played a major role lifting people out of such poverty, yet many raise legitimate concerns about capitalism.

Counting the Cost is an edited collection of articles by noted economists and theologians that offers a deep, and empathetic look at capitalism and its critiques from a biblical perspective.

Dr. Art Lindsley is the Vice President of Theological Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, where he oversees the development of a theology that integrates faith, work, and economics.

Dr. Anne R. Bradley is the Vice President of Economic Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Works & Economics, where she develops and commissions research toward a systematic biblical theology of economic freedom.

Barry Asmus is a senior economist at National Center for Policy Analysis, where he writes, testifies, and speaks on political and business issues facing America. He has authored several books, including The Space Place; Supermyths: An Almanac of Political Fables; Clinton Care: Putting Government in Charge of Your Health; and Crossroads: The Great American Experiment. 

Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, where he specializes in foreign policy and civil liberties. He has authored, coauthored, and edited many books, including Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics; Perpetuating Poverty: The World Bank, the IMF, and the Developing World; Foreign Follows: America’s New Global Empire; and The Politics of Plunder: Misgovernment in Washington, and has written widely on U.S.- Korea relations. 

Calvin Beisner is founder and national spokesman of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. He has written twelve books, including Prosperity and Poverty: The Compassionate Use of Resources in a World of Scarcity, and has testified before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee as an expert witness on the ethics and economics of climate policy. 

Anne R. Bradley is the vice president of economic initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, where she develops and commissions research toward a systematic biblical theology of economic freedom. She is a visiting professor at Georgetown University and she also teaches at The Institute for World Politics and George Mason University. Additionally, she is a visiting scholar at the Bernard Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy. 

Joy Buchanan is currently completing her PhD in economics at George Mason University and is a Mercatus Center PhD fellow. Her coauthored research has been published in Financial Times Online, the journal of Experimental Economics, and in The American Interest. 

Joe Connors is currently an assistant professor at the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise at Florida Southern College. He has authored and coauthored policy papers and book reviews and presented at numerous conferences, presentations, and workshops. His research interests include the impact of economic and political institutions on the poor in the developing world, the political economy of rent-seeking, public economics, and financial and monetary economics. 

Wayne Grudem is currently research professor of theology and biblical studies at Phoenix Seminary. He has published over twenty books, including The Poverty of Nations: A Sustainable Solution. In 2008, Grudem served as the general editor for the ESV Study Bible. 

David Kotter is dean of the School of Theology and professor of New Testament studies at Colorado Christian University. Kotter also serves as a visiting scholar and senior research fellow at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. He previously taught graduate economics, finance, and global business for Indiana Wesleyan University. 

Art Lindsley is the vice president of theological initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, where he oversees the development of a theology that integrates faith, work, and economics. He is the author of C.S. Lewis’s Case for Christ; True Truth; Love: The Ultimate Apologetic; and co-author with R.C. Sproul and John Gerstner of Classical Apologetics. He has also served as president and senior fellow at the C.S. Lewis Institute. 

Edd Noell is currently professor of economics and business at Westmont College, where he specializes in labor markets and economic justice, macroeconomic policy, history of economic thought, and transition economics. He has authored or coauthored Economic Growth: Unleashing the Potential of Human Flourishing; Reckoning with Markets: Moral Refection in Economics; and The Oxford Handbook of Economics and Christianity. 

Michael Novak (1933–2017) taught at Harvard, Stanford, SUNY (OW), Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Ave Maria. He was granted twenty-six honorary degrees and the 1994 Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, among many other awards. In 2009, he retired from the American Enterprise Institute, where he was the George Frederick Jewett Scholar in Religion, Philosophy, and Public Policy. Novak also served as a founding director of First Things. His paradigm-shifting work was The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism (1982). 

Jonathan Pennington is associate professor of New Testament interpretation, and director of Research Doctoral Studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has written over thirty articles, publications, and books, including Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew; Cosmology and New Testament Theology; Reading the Gospels Wisely: A Narrative and Theological Introduction; and, just released, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing. 

Vernon Smith won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2002 for his work in experimental economics. He is currently an American professor of economics at Chapman University School of Business and Economics and the School of Law. He formerly taught economics and law at George Mason University and was a research scholar at the Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science and a fellow at the Mercatus Center. He has authored or coauthored sixteen books and more than 300 articles surrounding capital theory, finance, natural resource economics, and experimental economics. 

Jonathan Witt is a senior contributor to and former managing editor of The Stream, a Christian news site. He is also a senior fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. Formerly, he served as research and media fellow at the Acton Institute, where he was lead writer for the PovertyCure Initiative. He was also lead writer for the award-winning feature-length documentary Poverty, Inc. and has written academic articles and scripted documentaries that have aired on PBS. 

Introduction | Art Lindsley 

Chapter 1 | The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism Thirty Years After | Michael Novak 

Chapter 2 | Human Flourishing and the Bible | Jonathan T. Pennington 

Chapter 3 | Is Capitalism Contrary to the Bible? | Art Lindsley 

Chapter 4 | A Christian Critique of Capitalism: Is Capitalism Based on Greed? | David Kotter 

Chapter 5 | Is Capitalism Exploitative? | Joseph Connors 

Chapter 6 | The 1 Percent: Is Income Inequality Evidence of Exploitation? | Anne R. Bradley 

Chapter 7 | Who Benefits in Capitalism? | Joy Buchanan and Vernon Smith 

Chapter 8 | Capitalism and Poverty: Economic Development and Growth Benefit the Least the Most | Doug Bandow 

Chapter 9 | Capitalism and Consumerism: Delighting in Both Creation and the Responsibilities of Affluence | Edd Noell 

Chapter 10 | Do Global Corporations Exploit Poor Countries? | Wayne Grudem and Bary Asmus 

Chapter 11 | Is Capitalism Bad for the Environment? | E. Calvin Beisner 

Chapter 12 | Capitalism and the Cultural Wasteland |  Jonathan Witt 

Conclusion | Anne R. Bradley 

Contributors

Index 

''A significant contribution to the debate over the morality of capitalism because of its willingness to tackle critiques of the free enterprise system. Both defenders and critics of capitalism will be intellectually sharpened by this book.''
—Tyler Castle, Values & Capitalism, AEI

''Many Christians ask if Christianity is compatible with 'capitalism.' Is it all about greed? Does it create unjust inequalities, and destroy culture? In Counting the Cost, first-rate Christian scholars grapple seriously with these and other questions. And they argue persuasively that, while a free market economy does not promise utopia, it's the only economic system that can allow not only individuals but entire cultures to flourish.''
—Jay W. Richards, Assistant Research Professor, The Busch School, The Catholic University of America

''Jesus was a socialist. Jubilee requires redistribution. Capitalism corrupts our souls. Well, maybe not: Counting the Cost is a useful collection of essays showing how a lot of what we (think we) ‹know› about capitalism just isn't so.''
—Art Carden, Associate Professor of Economics, Brock School of Business, Samford University

''If a man personally liberates another from the clutches of poverty, he's regarded as a hero. But when an economic system called capitalism does the same for tens of millions, it brings forth an endless Inquisition and its intellectual Torquemadas. But as the excellent essays in Counting the Cost explain, the attack on capitalism is vastly overwrought and freighted with the baggage of false assumptions. Capitalism is what happens when peaceful, creative people are free to prosper by serving others through production and voluntary exchange.''
—Lawrence W. Reed, President, Foundation for Economic Education

''The editors, who themselves have thought more seriously about faith and economics than just about anyone on the planet, assembled a great team to evaluate the operation of capitalism from ethical, moral, and economic perspectives. The central issues are addressed with clarity, and clear distinctions are made between myth and reality. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the relationships among Christian convictions, sound economics, and alternative economic systems.''
—James Gwartney, Professor of Economics, Florida State University

''In modern discussions of capitalism, it is common to read analyses from Christians who know little of economics, and from economists who know little of Christianity. Counting the Cost is a rare collection of essays that are respectful of the truths accessible through both avenues. The collection offers insights for readers of all backgrounds.''
—Robert P. Murphy, Research Assistant Professor with the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech University

''Counting the Cost offers an important and necessary reminder that a free and virtuous society is best served by free markets, and it also (and I cannot stress this enough) is an imperative tonic to persistent misunderstandings of economic principles. Many believe that adhering to Judeo-Christian faiths demands a concomitant trust in government efforts to redistribute wealth. These essays prove nothing could be further from the truth.''
—Rev. Robert A. Sirico, president and founder, The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty

''In Counting the Cost, it is obvious from the first chapter (Michael Novak's final essay!) that this book is well worth its price! The contributors provide a much-needed series of tour de force arguments that democratic capitalism is the most moral force in the world for economic justice.''
—Joseph Castleberry, President, Northwest University

''Most people do not study economics formally and even fewer study it through a biblical lens to understand God's plan for human flourishing and to truly understand what being a good steward means. Counting the Cost contains insights by some of the best and brightest Christian economic thinkers and goes a long way to correct this gap in the Christian worldview. Many Christians may not have the time to take a class in economics, but they should make the time to read this book.''
—Brian Baugus, Assistant Professor of Economics, Regent University

''Counting the Cost is a must-read for Christians who want to evaluate the role of the free market in our modern, globalized world. The book is an honest appraisal of what markets are capable of and their role in many of the most pressing issues of our day. The reader is guaranteed to finish Counting the Cost with a deeper understanding of how capitalism allows us to live out elements of the Imago Dei.''
—Nathanael D. Peach, Associate Professor of Economics, George Fox University

ISBN: 9780891124085

Pages: 384

Dimensions (inches): 6 x 9

Weight (pounds): 0.7