Scholarly Comments on Academic Economics

What Has Jerusalem to Do with Chicago (or Cambridge)? Why Economics Needs an Infusion of Religious Formulations

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Abstract

Professional economics would benefit from an infusion of religious formulations, particularly the notions that all humans are made in God’s image and are fallen creatures. This infusion would lead economics to more openly recognize the role of moral reflection in economic thinking and enhance the way in which economics conceives of the use of knowledge in both the private and public sectors. In addition, particular benefits might be realized in rethinking conceptions of entrepreneurship, competition, and opportunistic behavior. I provide examples of the ways Christian values shape my research agenda as an economist.