Economic Parables: The Monetary Teachings of Jesus Christ

by David Cowan

Ever wondered how to pay the next bill? Felt the world is unfair in economic rewards? Been indecisive about investing wisely? These types of fiscal questions are addressed from a Christian viewpoint in Economic Parables.

Using his vast experience in the financial world as well as church ministry, the author invites you to listen directly to the words of Jesus and reflect on a number of "economic parables" to understand life in an increasingly globalized economy. Some of the answers you find will be surprising, in part because Jesus was a more sophisticated economist than he is given credit for. His words will shed light on many modern economic problems and decisions we may not think to go to the Bible about.

By taking this journey through the economic parables, your response to finances and the global marketplace will be enriched from a balanced biblical approach. Each chapter contains a parable and reflection, followed by a question making this book ideal for group or personal Bible study.

209 pages, Paperback

First published July 9, 2007

Reviews

[Charles Krouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the fundamental premise of the book, which is to examine a few of the parables of Jesus through an economic lens. However, I found the main argument of the book weak. The author's primary purpose is "to defend the free market system against theological attack" by arguing that the free market is something that Christians should be a part of and work within for the greater purpose of advancing God's Kingdom. I agree with this point. And I agree with many of the author's conclusions. However, he uses a lot of words to say very little. For example, the main point of the first chapter, which discusses the Parable of the Shrewd Manager, is to use money wisely. Given the controversial events of this particular parable, there is so much that the author could have said but didn’t. A pattern of speaking about events and principles, not particularly related the discussed parable continues throughout the book. At different points in the book, he talks about global warming, environmentalists, and national debts, but it was difficult to follow how these particular topics related to each parable.

Furthermore, in the introduction, he warns the reader that he is going to be purposefully inflammatory with his assessments. Personally, I don't think he was inflammatory enough. Everything that he says is common sense for working people. He argues that Christians should not be anti-capitalism or anti-globalization. I think that the author is fighting a straw-man with this argument, because I have never heard of Christians arguing against capitalism or globalization. There are so many more controversial topics about money that the author could have addressed. Simply, I love the idea of the book, but I think it was only moderately executed.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought up some interesting points connecting the parables of Jesus and His thoughts on attitudes towards money. I would have preferred a more, in depth thought process of the scriptures used but the book was more of a political and cultural analysis of society, using these verses as a baseline.

[Babajide Ajayi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a politically correct book. It is a call to truly assess our view of the economy especially when we are tempted to justify our stand and behavior with the texts of the bible.

[Brent · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed by this book. I was expecting some sort of integration of the Bible and economic theory, but it was instead merely a shallow defense of capitalism.

There is of course nothing wrong with defending capitalism, it is the best economic system we have, it's just that if you are going to go to the trouble of writing a book on the economy why not offer some sort of critique while you're at it.

I find it troubling that the author makes little effort to offer a balance viewpoint and let reader make up their own minds. Instead he frequently singles out "liberal theologians" for criticism without addressing any of the flaws of conservative thinking.

Towards the end of the book he stokes conservative fears with tales of "liberal elites" who want to re-engineer society and the economy in one direction without mentioning conservative elites like Rupert Murdoch or the Koch brothers who trying to engineer them in the opposite direction.

In chapter 8 he tries to take us all off the hook any sort of energy conservation or sustainability saying, "Either we have finite means - which will one day run out unless we stop using them - or we do not. In reality,we don't know what quantity of resources we have. Nor do we know what future generations will discover and innovate for themselves." In doing so he presents the same short-term head-in-the-sand-thinking that has gotten us to where we are now. I cannot endorse a strategy that calls for us to blindly maintain the status quo and hope that our kids can somehow figure a way out of the mess we are leaving them.

He does begin to strike a better balance in the afterword where he addresses the financial meltdown, where a more cynical person would say he finally has to face the results of the principles he has been endorsing throughout the book.

I of course am not that cynical person.

All in all, this is the sort of book that gives Christian "thinking" a bad name. It reminds me of Business for the Glory of God by Wayne Grudem, only not as bad.

[Dick]

So far, I'm still waiting to be engaged by this book.