Bible has ‘no place for left and right’, economics conference is told
from CEN:
‘LEFT’ and ‘right’ political and economic categories cannot be applied to the Bible’s economic understanding, and are of little use in addressing society.
So concluded a seminar in Campion Hall Oxford on 16 January where biblical scholars and professionals in law and business examined “The Social and Economic Teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures”.
It was convened by the Centre for Enterprise, Markets and Economics, set up after the 2008 financial crisis by Lord Brian Griffiths, former adviser to Margaret Thatcher.
Director Dr Richard Turnbull, former chairman of the Church of England Evangelical Council, said that the Centre sought to bring intellectual thinking from the Judaeo Christian tradition and support Christian business people that ethics matter and make a difference to the world of business, which is part of God’s provision for society…
…The Rev Dr Ben Cooper from Christ Church, Fulwood, Sheffield, argued that no economics was value-free: for example neo-classical economics promote libertarianism and most people are not libertarian.
The Old Testament is not neutral on capitalism. The restoration of good order, for example by remitting debts, was not to take advantage of the poor and leave them trapped in poverty but to help them back to productive activity with a stake in the land.
The seventh year restoration showed that accumulation of wealth is not what human life is about. Helping the needy without despising wealth generation spans the ‘liberal-conservative’ divide and exposes the capacity of modern capitalism to manipulate. Since the law cannot deal with lack of love in the human heart, full restoration of God’s good order can only take place in Jesus Christ.
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