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A History of Christian Political Economy: From the Patristics to the Present
Political economy concerns one of the most foundational organizers for how we order production, exchange, and consumption to achieve collectively determined goals. From its earliest days, Christianity has offered much to say directly to political economies, and through the centuries has shaped our intellectual inheritance in profound ways. However, very few studies have aimed to trace comprehensively the nature and scope of this inheritance.
This book offers a survey of Christian thought, from the post-Biblical age to present, regarding how Christians from various eras and traditions have influenced how we think about political economies.**Pair with the companion reader, Sources in Christian Political Economy .
This book offers a survey of Christian thought, from the post-Biblical age to present, regarding how Christians from various eras and traditions have influenced how we think about political economies.**Pair with the companion reader, Sources in Christian Political Economy .
432 pages, Hardcover
Published May 1, 2026
About the author
Jordan J. Ballor
39 books27 followersJordan J. Ballor (Dr. theol., University of Zurich; Ph.D., Calvin Theological Seminary) is director of research at the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
October 15, 2026
A History of Christian Political Economy
From the Patristics to the Present
by Jordan J. Ballor and Erik W. Matson, authors
Rated: 4 star rating
I just finished up reading A History of Christian Political Economy: From the Patristics to the Present by Jordan J. Ballor and Erik W. Matson, and it really got me thinking about faith and money in a whole new way. Most of us probably think that serious ideas about economics and how markets work only started a couple of hundred years ago. But this book shows that Christians have actually been stressing over wealth, trade, and what's fair for two thousand years.
The authors take you on a road trip through history, starting with the very early church fathers, moving into the medieval times, and bringing it all the way up to modern day debates.
It is amazing how big name thinkers from different eras tried to figure out real world money problems without losing sight of their faith.
What stuck with me is how the book looks at regular things we do every day, like shopping or working, and connects them to a bigger moral purpose.
The authors do an great job explaining how different church movements shaped the way our society sets up rules around business to make sure we are looking out for each other.
The authors keep things relatable by making these old arguments feel surprisingly relevant to the financial stuff we deal with in our lives today.
By the end, the main idea is that you really can't separate money from morals. It shows that business and trading can actually be a good thing for the world when people stick to solid ethics. Whether you are a history buff or just want to think a little deeper about faith and the marketplace, this is a great read.
Thank you, NetGalley, B&H Academic, and authors, Erik W. Matson and Jordan J. Ballor, for providing me with a copy of this ebook for review consideration. All review opinions are my own.
#NetGalley
#B&HAcademic
#ErikWMatson author
#JordanJBallor author
#AHistoryofChristianPoliticalEconomy
http://goodreads.com/patriciasreading...
http://www.patriciasreadingroom.blogs...
From the Patristics to the Present
by Jordan J. Ballor and Erik W. Matson, authors
Rated: 4 star rating
I just finished up reading A History of Christian Political Economy: From the Patristics to the Present by Jordan J. Ballor and Erik W. Matson, and it really got me thinking about faith and money in a whole new way. Most of us probably think that serious ideas about economics and how markets work only started a couple of hundred years ago. But this book shows that Christians have actually been stressing over wealth, trade, and what's fair for two thousand years.
The authors take you on a road trip through history, starting with the very early church fathers, moving into the medieval times, and bringing it all the way up to modern day debates.
It is amazing how big name thinkers from different eras tried to figure out real world money problems without losing sight of their faith.
What stuck with me is how the book looks at regular things we do every day, like shopping or working, and connects them to a bigger moral purpose.
The authors do an great job explaining how different church movements shaped the way our society sets up rules around business to make sure we are looking out for each other.
The authors keep things relatable by making these old arguments feel surprisingly relevant to the financial stuff we deal with in our lives today.
By the end, the main idea is that you really can't separate money from morals. It shows that business and trading can actually be a good thing for the world when people stick to solid ethics. Whether you are a history buff or just want to think a little deeper about faith and the marketplace, this is a great read.
Thank you, NetGalley, B&H Academic, and authors, Erik W. Matson and Jordan J. Ballor, for providing me with a copy of this ebook for review consideration. All review opinions are my own.
#NetGalley
#B&HAcademic
#ErikWMatson author
#JordanJBallor author
#AHistoryofChristianPoliticalEconomy
http://goodreads.com/patriciasreading...
http://www.patriciasreadingroom.blogs...
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review