The Economics of the Parables

by Robert Sirico

Timeless and moral economic wisdom for life's choices and changes derived from the parables of the New Testament by famed free market advocate and Catholic priest Robert Sirico.Libraries are filled with books on the parables of Christ, and rightly so. In the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, “While civilizations have come and gone, these stories continue to teach us anew with their freshness and their humanity.” Two millennia later, the New Testament parables remain ubiquitous, and yet, few have stopped to glean from one of Christ’s most prevalent money. In The Economics of the Parables, Rev. Robert Sirico pulls back the veil of modernity to reveal the timeless economic wisdom of the parables. Thirteen central stories—including “The Laborers in the Vineyard,” “The Rich Fool,” “The Five Talents,” and “The Faithful Steward”—serve as his guide, revealing practical lessons in caring for the poor, stewarding wealth, distributing inheritances, navigating income disparities, and resolving family tensions.  As contemporary as any business manual and sure to outlast them, The Economics of the Parables equips any economically informed reader to uncover the enduring financial truths of the parables in a reasonable, sensible, and life-empowering manner.

Genres: Economics, Catholic, Theology, Religion, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Faith

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 10, 2022

About the author

Rev. Robert A. Sirico received his Master of Divinity degree from the Catholic University of America, following undergraduate study at the University of Southern California and the University of London. During his studies and early ministry, he experienced a growing concern over the lack of training religious studies students receive in fundamental economic principles, leaving them poorly equipped to understand and address today's social problems. As a result of these concerns, Fr. Sirico co-founded the Acton Institute with Kris Alan Mauren in 1990.

In April of 1999, Fr. Sirico was awarded an honorary doctorate in Christian Ethics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and in May of 2001, Universidad Francisco Marroquin awarded him an honorary doctorate in Social Sciences. He is a member of the prestigious Mont Pèlerin Society, the American Academy of Religion, and the Philadelphia Society, and is on the Board of Advisors of the Civic Institute in Prague. Father Sirico also served on the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 1994 to 1998. He is also currently serving on the pastoral staff of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Fr. Sirico's pastoral ministry has included a chaplaincy to AIDS patients at the National Institutes of Health and the recent founding of a new community, St. Philip Neri House in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Reviews

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (= good)

I expected—and hoped—to be challenged here, but I found that I already agree with Sirico for the most part. Because of this, I didn’t feel that I gained much by reading the book, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worthwhile.

His analysis of the Good Samaritan was especially valuable, including his discussion on why this should not be construed as an endorsement—or condemnation—of government welfare programs.

John wrote a great review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Drtaxsacto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fr. Sirico is a Catholic priest but not one who has been infected with liberation theology. His earlier book on the morality of markets was compact and well reasoned. This book takes a selection of the most famous parables and looks for any economic insights that they offer. And they offer a lot. Much about personal responsibility including the wise use of wealth and more about the impulse and need for charity. What he also does is demolish the notion that Jesus was a socialist. Or that Rawlsian distributions are equitable. You won't hear support for "social" justice because the parables recognize the absolute demand for individual actors to promote justice. Fr. Sirico is a clear headed thinker - the book is well worth the read.

[John Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is noteworthy that the Biblical parables told by Jesus Christ are as meaningful today as they were 2,000 years ago. Father Robert Sirico has selected thirteen of the parables to comment on and discuss their economic implications. Father Sirico is careful to explain that economic lessons are not the primary or even secondary messages of the parables. Instead, economics are incidental to or merely a presupposition of the circumstances of human life. But his analysis clearly shows the benefits of private property ownership and free markets and the disadvantages of government regulations and confiscatory taxes.

The author is critical of the Marxist interpretation of economic history which views conflicts that emerge between groups as what Marx calls “class struggle”. Father Sirico explains that Christianity has a very different anthropology, promoting not conflict or class warfare but harmony and reconciliation through interpersonal encounter and voluntary transactions.

The author makes enlightened free-market defenses in all thirteen chapters. Perhaps the strongest is in the Good Samaritan parable (chapter 11) where he lists some of the problems with government welfare, including the following:

“It is a dangerous leap of faith and logic to suggest that the role of the Samaritan be absorbed by the state. To transfer such an obligation to a coercive apparatus may seem to relieve us of certain responsibilities, or even to ensure that they are met; but in fact it introduces many grave moral hazards. The Samaritan was manifestly not an agent of the state.”

[Ed Kless · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first interviewed Fr. Sirico for my radio show almost eight years ago. Near the end of the interview, I asked him what he was working on and he mentioned a book about the economics of the parables. I told him, "I can't wait." Well, I did have to wait but was it ever worth it. This book is fantastic.

Father clearly calls on his mastery of homiletics and provides the reader with deep background and insights about the baker's dozen parables he chose to include in this volume. As if that were not enough, he adds a final chapter, the longest in the book, on some of his broader thoughts on economics and the new testament. Note this use of "and" the NT not, "in" the NT. Fr. Sirico is not deriving economic theory from the parables, but rather as he puts it, "to detect the universal economic assumptions at play within the stories themselves, while at the same time acknowledging that these assumptions are not themselves the core intent, moral, or goal of the parable, and that, from time to time, Jesus turns such assumptions on their head to make his point."

Indeed, he has done this masterfully.

If you are an entrepreneur, buy this book for yourself. If you are a member of the Catholic laity, buy some copies for your priests and deacons. I did!

[Brad Bevers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, one of the most important books you can read if you are a Christian and involved in commerce in any way. I have not thought through the parables economically before, and there are some really interesting points that the author brings out by going through them with this perspective. My favorite chapter was on The Parable of the Talents and what implications that has when thinking about business as well as the Gospel. This is one that will go on my favorites shelf to be re-read soon, highly recommended.

[Marc K · Rating 4 out of 5]

He reviewed only 13 of the hundreds of parables, but chose the most popular. His analysis from an economic standpoint gave me new appreciation for things I have heard hundreds of times during mass.
He spent almost 40 pages on his afterword where he dealt with the many misconceptions like Jesus pushing socialism/communism and eschewing private property.

[Alana Amunrud-Sharp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I listened to this as an audio book so have general impressions rather than specific quotes to critique.

I have recently been studing the parables, and it's always interesting to get another perspective on them. This author comes at them from and economic perspective, which in some ways is very helpful. There is definitely a lot about economics that Jesus addressed in his parables.

However, I found the author inconsistent in his approach. He suggested several times that other people were wrong to say that Jesus advocated for socialism or marxism - such suggestions do not fully take into account Jesus's context. But in the next sentence he would suggest that Jesus's principles are in line with a Free Market system and capitalism.

Indeed, a lot of what he said seemed to be claiming support for capitalism and how economics are done in the west. He did occasionally offer criques of that system of economics, but far more critques of socialism and communism were offered. It seemed that he was much more impacted by his own economic experiences than by what Jesus was trying to communicate.

Some of the parables he addressed in relevant ways, but others seemed like quite a stretch to get to where he was going.

I kept swinging back and forth between, "Oh, that's a decent point" and "What is he talking about, this has nothing to do with that parable?!"

Some helpful thoughts, interspersed with a lot of what seemed like effectively capitalism propaganda.

[Fraser Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thesis: Father Sirico tries to extract the economic principles from the parables of Jesus from the Gospels. From these parables, we can learn that private property is not a mandate for disciples of Jesus, contracts have to be honored, talents ought to be multiplied and we will be responsible for them, have to work for our masters in an honorable way, and importance of being generous with our wealth.

What I liked: there were aspects of the book that I felt convicted

What I disliked: I'm not sure that the principles laid out on the book are really in the parables or read into it. I should follow up on the eisegesis.

Overall, 3.2

[Aaron Carlberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sirico has a pretty good head on his shoulders when it comes to economics and the best way to truly help those in the world (hint, the answer is not giving everyone everything WE think they need). I picked up this book knowing he would have an interesting perspective.

He freely admits that how he is interpreting the parables is NOT the direct interpretation and that he is looking into them...still I gave the book 3 stars because at times he does a good job and others he tries pretty hard to pigeon hole his interpretation. Its not bad, just seems to be lacking in many areas.

[Adam Kareus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very interesting book which seeks to take a look at the economic aspects of some of Jesus' parables. While the author acknowledges that these economic elements are not the main points of the parables, he argues that we can gain some useful insight about how God views economic realities. It was an interesting read because it sought to dive into some of the underlying assumptions of the parables and Jesus' teachings. It was a worthy read.

[Davey Ermold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sirico’s book serves quite the niche purpose. Approaching the Scriptures from a Catholic point of view, Sirico analyzes Jesus’ parables, not for their interpretive meaning, but for their underlying economic principles. Assuming they teach a true and consistent economic ethic (and I think they do), what do we learn about how the marketplace should and should not operate?

[Jim Milway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep dive into the most popular of the parables with a focus on the economic insights they provide. Fr Sirico disposes some of the incorrect conclusions drawn about Christ’s teachings. No, He didn’t recommend socialism or condemn the wealthy or criticize entrepreneurs etc. A great read.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent analysis of the parables and how they are often anachronistically attributed as evidence of Jesus political philosophy. In particular how communism is anachronistically and falsely attributed to Jesus through the parables.

[Trudy Pomerantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt that at least some of this book was not relevant to me since I am not a RC and I don't imbibe of the RC socialist or communist agenda. But still worth a read.

[Michael Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Careful yet thought-provoking exegesis of the economic wisdom found in the parables. The economics of Jesus' teachings, and indeed all of scripture, simply cannot be ignored. Just brilliant.

[Ronald J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a splendid book! The Parables are timeless and offer many counterintuitive lessons about human nature. The point of a parable is a story leading to a deeper meaning. They require deep reflection. As Father Sirico writes, they “reveal a great deal about both the way we live and the way we ought to live.” He guides us through a Baker’s Dozen Parables, explaining the economics and the enduring human experience along the way. There is also a wonderful Afterword that explores the moral issues behind private property, wealth, and more. We had the honor of interviewing Father Robert Sirico (for the fifth time) on this book, which you can listen to here:

https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/t...

Remarkable

Winston Churchill: “The socialism of the Christian era…was based on the idea that ‘all mine is yours,’ but the Socialism of [today] is based on the idea that ‘all yours is mine.’”

[Peter W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book addressed some interesting questions head on that I had not seen someone address before, such as why does Jesus compare the kingdom of heaven to a luxury good (a pearl of great price)? I found some of the commentary insightful, but I also thought that at times the analysis was a bit too political for my taste and it don't think that all the political conclusions flowed naturally from the text.