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Biblical Blueprint Series
Inherit the Earth
Biblical Principles for Economics
202 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
3 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Gary North
173 books96 followersGary North received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside. He served on the Senior Staff of the Foundation for Economic Education, in Irvington-on-Hudson, New York, and was the president of the Institute for Christian Economics. Dr. North’s essays and reviews have appeared in three dozen magazines and journals, including The Wall Street Journal, National Review, The American Spectator, and others.
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February 14, 2022This is a hard book to review. I've found a number of North's books to be helpful and have reason to be grateful for his influence. This book, while it contained some startlingly helpful bursts of insight, has a bunch of stuff in it that made me scream.
I read this book because I'm trying to think through some issues of ownership and economics. I came to North and this series because the instalment by the same author on international relations, HEALER OF THE NATIONS, was absolutely brilliant and pretty groundbreaking. And I honestly don't know any other Christians who have tried to think through social issues from an orthodox, sola-Scriptura starting point. So here I am reading North's book on economics, and it's actually pretty awful.
The good: there are some really startling lines in this book that made me see things in a whole new light. For instance, the first chapter contains the promising observation that property rights are not absolute: we hold property as stewards for God and our neighbour - that last bit not being a perspective I've heard from anyone else. This consideration comes back when North cites the Old Testament law permitting any passer-by to eat the produce being grown on any land, so long as they don't carry it away with them in a receptacle. This has ramifications for how we interpret the commandment against theft and is an example of how our property is held on trust for our neighbours.
The bad: However, North fails repeatedly to push this mode of enquiry into any new or interesting avenues, instead spending the entirety of the book veering into anti-socialist polemics. No stick is too bad to beat socialism with, and North uses them all. In North's view, the only two options are free-market minarchist capitalism versus socialism, and it's clear which one he thinks has the divine sanction. I'm not convinced by this, because there are other options than those two - fascism and anarchism, for instance - and the latter actually has some intriguing possibilities (one could argue, for instance, that the early church at the start of the book of Acts actually had an anarcho-communist setup).
The ugly: Then there are some absolute clangers that had me clawing at my hair. Like saying that exclusivity in property rights is like exclusivity in marriage. Oh lor'. Did I just read something putting the possession of an inanimate thing on the same level as a covenant between two image-bearers of God. No. Bad economist.
The conclusion: This book did provoke some ferocious and critical thinking which was extremely useful to me, but it would have been so much more useful had it not been shrilly obsessed with socialism, and if it had dealt in a serious and genuine manner with some of the stronger critiques of capitalism.
I read this book because I'm trying to think through some issues of ownership and economics. I came to North and this series because the instalment by the same author on international relations, HEALER OF THE NATIONS, was absolutely brilliant and pretty groundbreaking. And I honestly don't know any other Christians who have tried to think through social issues from an orthodox, sola-Scriptura starting point. So here I am reading North's book on economics, and it's actually pretty awful.
The good: there are some really startling lines in this book that made me see things in a whole new light. For instance, the first chapter contains the promising observation that property rights are not absolute: we hold property as stewards for God and our neighbour - that last bit not being a perspective I've heard from anyone else. This consideration comes back when North cites the Old Testament law permitting any passer-by to eat the produce being grown on any land, so long as they don't carry it away with them in a receptacle. This has ramifications for how we interpret the commandment against theft and is an example of how our property is held on trust for our neighbours.
The bad: However, North fails repeatedly to push this mode of enquiry into any new or interesting avenues, instead spending the entirety of the book veering into anti-socialist polemics. No stick is too bad to beat socialism with, and North uses them all. In North's view, the only two options are free-market minarchist capitalism versus socialism, and it's clear which one he thinks has the divine sanction. I'm not convinced by this, because there are other options than those two - fascism and anarchism, for instance - and the latter actually has some intriguing possibilities (one could argue, for instance, that the early church at the start of the book of Acts actually had an anarcho-communist setup).
The ugly: Then there are some absolute clangers that had me clawing at my hair. Like saying that exclusivity in property rights is like exclusivity in marriage. Oh lor'. Did I just read something putting the possession of an inanimate thing on the same level as a covenant between two image-bearers of God. No. Bad economist.
The conclusion: This book did provoke some ferocious and critical thinking which was extremely useful to me, but it would have been so much more useful had it not been shrilly obsessed with socialism, and if it had dealt in a serious and genuine manner with some of the stronger critiques of capitalism.
February 22, 2013
This was a good primer for biblical economics. Much scripture both implicit and explicit. The real gem is the last three chapters on application. I would recommend it.
March 31, 2024
A SUMMARY OVERVIEW OF NORTH’S ‘CHRISTIAN ECONOMICS’ IDEAS
Gary Kilgore North (1942-2022) was head of the Institute for Christian Economics, and a prominent Christian Reconstructionist, who wrote widely on many topics (including postmillennial eschatology).
He wrote in the Introduction of this 1987 book, “This book is an introduction to a few of the themes of Biblical economics. It will demonstrate that God has established economic principles, and that men gain authority over the economy only by obeying these basic principles. Because men in general, and most Christians in particular, have adopted a different set of economic principles, we can expect judgment. We therefore need revival, meaning the restoration of God’s economic principles. If I am correct, then Christians must begin to reconstruct their own lives, families, and churches before God’s judgment on society begins We must prove ourselves ready to lead. We do this by following God now, BEFORE judgment begins… If you don’t want to be disinherited, either eternally of on earth, then start obeying God.” (Pg. 6-7)
He argues, “one of the most popular arguments of ‘Christian’ socialists, that the early church held property in common, is in fact an argument AGAINST State-required and State-enforced socialism. Only in Jerusalem did the church adopt this policy of shared property, for only Jerusalem was threatened with God’s prophesied destruction. Yet a practice which was temporary and voluntary had been used by evil men to defend a permanent and involuntary system of theft by ballot box, modern socialism and the welfare State.” (Pg. 14)
He states, “There is… a hierarchy of responsibility and authority within the human family. Wives are under the authority of their husbands. This doesn’t mean that wives are in any way morally inferior to their husbands… Nevertheless, they are to obey them so that they may learn to exercise authority in their own households… In short, dominion requires subordination. If wives wish to exercise responsible authority n other areas of life, they must become obedient to their husbands, just as husbands must become obedient to God, the church, and the State…By denying this fundamental principle, the ‘women’s liberation movement’ has done more to remove long-term authority from women than any other intellectual and political movement of this century.” (Pg. 32)
He asserts, “Biblical Christianity never asserts that any single authority is absolutely supreme, except the Creator God. This means that there must be God-ordained and God-limited institutions to settle disputes. It also means that there should be no central planning agency over the entire economy.” (Pg. 34)
He contends, “One of the most disastrous developments of the twentieth century is the almost universal acceptance of the moral acceptability and political necessity of very high inheritance taxes on the rich. This outlook is primarily the result of envy: the hatred of those who are better off, and the willingness to tear them down, even if it hurts those who do the tearing. Voters know that there are very few rich people… the demand for high inheritance taxes has almost nothing to do with the actual amount of taxes collected by the government. It has everything to do with envy: pulling down the successful for the sheer joy of destruction.” (Pg. 67-68)
He says, “Let us make no mistake: Christian dominion necessarily involves the exclusion of anti-Christians from positions of public power. This is in part a political process… But there must be winners and losers politically. Our goal as Christians is to make political and cultural losers out of the humanists and satanists… God’s elect must win the elections.” (Pg. 79)
He explains, “Most people are under the impression that the Old Testament had very rigorous laws, but the New Testament is merciful and has much more lax requirements. Actually, this is almost the reverse of reality. The Old Testament was much more lax than the New Testament, because New Testament believers have a great deal more knowledge… Old Testament believers did not have the same kind of knowledge and opportunities that the New Testament believers have.” (Pg. 96-97)
He notes, “If we fail to understand why the free market is our greatest source of new information, under God, and if we fail to teach our children to respect the Bible’s laws of ownership, then we will disinherit our children.” (Pg. 131) He continues, “The Bible sets forth social requirements that can only produce a capitalist economy… Capitalism is the historical product of Christianity, and where capitalism is abandoned, the judgment of both God and the consumers will be visited upon economic order.” (Pg. 134)
He asserts, “No Christian family should allow its legal dependents to enter any government-operated school.” (Pg. 142) “Social Security is… addiction to the State.” (Pg. 143) “churches probably should take at least 10% of their income from people’s tithes and offerings and set this money aside for welfare activities.” (Pg. 149) “God… is the enemy of the public schools. They are His enemy. God wants them all shut down… This is a war. You must get on God’s side.” (Pg. 161)
This book will be very useful to those seeking a frank and broad overview of North’s opinions.
Gary Kilgore North (1942-2022) was head of the Institute for Christian Economics, and a prominent Christian Reconstructionist, who wrote widely on many topics (including postmillennial eschatology).
He wrote in the Introduction of this 1987 book, “This book is an introduction to a few of the themes of Biblical economics. It will demonstrate that God has established economic principles, and that men gain authority over the economy only by obeying these basic principles. Because men in general, and most Christians in particular, have adopted a different set of economic principles, we can expect judgment. We therefore need revival, meaning the restoration of God’s economic principles. If I am correct, then Christians must begin to reconstruct their own lives, families, and churches before God’s judgment on society begins We must prove ourselves ready to lead. We do this by following God now, BEFORE judgment begins… If you don’t want to be disinherited, either eternally of on earth, then start obeying God.” (Pg. 6-7)
He argues, “one of the most popular arguments of ‘Christian’ socialists, that the early church held property in common, is in fact an argument AGAINST State-required and State-enforced socialism. Only in Jerusalem did the church adopt this policy of shared property, for only Jerusalem was threatened with God’s prophesied destruction. Yet a practice which was temporary and voluntary had been used by evil men to defend a permanent and involuntary system of theft by ballot box, modern socialism and the welfare State.” (Pg. 14)
He states, “There is… a hierarchy of responsibility and authority within the human family. Wives are under the authority of their husbands. This doesn’t mean that wives are in any way morally inferior to their husbands… Nevertheless, they are to obey them so that they may learn to exercise authority in their own households… In short, dominion requires subordination. If wives wish to exercise responsible authority n other areas of life, they must become obedient to their husbands, just as husbands must become obedient to God, the church, and the State…By denying this fundamental principle, the ‘women’s liberation movement’ has done more to remove long-term authority from women than any other intellectual and political movement of this century.” (Pg. 32)
He asserts, “Biblical Christianity never asserts that any single authority is absolutely supreme, except the Creator God. This means that there must be God-ordained and God-limited institutions to settle disputes. It also means that there should be no central planning agency over the entire economy.” (Pg. 34)
He contends, “One of the most disastrous developments of the twentieth century is the almost universal acceptance of the moral acceptability and political necessity of very high inheritance taxes on the rich. This outlook is primarily the result of envy: the hatred of those who are better off, and the willingness to tear them down, even if it hurts those who do the tearing. Voters know that there are very few rich people… the demand for high inheritance taxes has almost nothing to do with the actual amount of taxes collected by the government. It has everything to do with envy: pulling down the successful for the sheer joy of destruction.” (Pg. 67-68)
He says, “Let us make no mistake: Christian dominion necessarily involves the exclusion of anti-Christians from positions of public power. This is in part a political process… But there must be winners and losers politically. Our goal as Christians is to make political and cultural losers out of the humanists and satanists… God’s elect must win the elections.” (Pg. 79)
He explains, “Most people are under the impression that the Old Testament had very rigorous laws, but the New Testament is merciful and has much more lax requirements. Actually, this is almost the reverse of reality. The Old Testament was much more lax than the New Testament, because New Testament believers have a great deal more knowledge… Old Testament believers did not have the same kind of knowledge and opportunities that the New Testament believers have.” (Pg. 96-97)
He notes, “If we fail to understand why the free market is our greatest source of new information, under God, and if we fail to teach our children to respect the Bible’s laws of ownership, then we will disinherit our children.” (Pg. 131) He continues, “The Bible sets forth social requirements that can only produce a capitalist economy… Capitalism is the historical product of Christianity, and where capitalism is abandoned, the judgment of both God and the consumers will be visited upon economic order.” (Pg. 134)
He asserts, “No Christian family should allow its legal dependents to enter any government-operated school.” (Pg. 142) “Social Security is… addiction to the State.” (Pg. 143) “churches probably should take at least 10% of their income from people’s tithes and offerings and set this money aside for welfare activities.” (Pg. 149) “God… is the enemy of the public schools. They are His enemy. God wants them all shut down… This is a war. You must get on God’s side.” (Pg. 161)
This book will be very useful to those seeking a frank and broad overview of North’s opinions.
January 27, 2018
Good read. Can read in a few days. Again, it made me consider Biblical economics.
July 21, 2022
This is a book about biblical economics, and more specifically about the restoration of God's economic principles at the family, church and state levels. It's a jeremiad against the social and economic decay wrought by socialism with a series of blueprints offered at the end for decentralizing state control and restoring power and responsibility of the nation's welfare to families and churches. For such a grand economic restructuring, North doesn't go into great detail. Rather, he's to the point and offers succinct steps to take, starting small/local, akin to the ideas of Catholic subsidiarity or Protestant sphere sovereignty. The point of this then is to get back to the proper ways of taking dominion as stewards of God's money, or to use economic language, inheriting the world. In other words, bad economics thwarts good dominion. North will make you see economic principles of biblical passages for the first time, lining up God's plans with free enterprise capitalism and working through topics like private property, debt, inheritance laws etc. It's unique in that sense and worth a read.
August 17, 2014
If Gary North is right, then that means Jacques Ellul is wrong: there is no case for Christian anarchism. Rather, biblical government would be minarchist in scope. He doesn't use the term "minarchist" at all.
January 1, 2013
Okay. Better books on economics out there. Though his last chapters on family and Church responsibilities were challenging and thought provoking.
September 12, 2024
Excelente. Mucho optimismo.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews