Foundations of Economics: A Christian View is an introduction to economics from an explicitly Christian perspective. It maintains that there is no conflict between Christian doctrine and economic science, properly understood. Therefore, Foundations of Economics has three goals: to demonstrate that the foundations of economic laws are derived from a Christian understanding of nature and humanity; to explain basic economic principles of the market economy and apply them to various economic problems, such as poverty and economic development; and to show the relationship between Christian ethics and economic policy.
Foundations of Economics: A Christian View accomplishes these goals by rooting the fundamental principles of human action in the Christian doctrines of creation and humanity, and integrating them with the Christian ethic of private property. This volume explains the relevance of economics for fulfilling the cultural mandate set forth in the first two chapters of Genesis, by demonstrating how economics can help us in our task to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over the earth, without spoiling creation, starving to death, or descending into a barbaric struggle for survival.
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Review
"Shawn Ritenour's Foundations of Economics is everything a textbook on economics should be: clear, well organized, easy to understand--and interesting! Ritenour presents the material with the effortless ease of the expert, in a way suited to the beginning or intermediate student. That he roots economic principles in biblical wisdom making this a truly momentous contribution and a blessing to anyone fortunate enough to study from it." --Thomas E. Woods, Jr.
"To speak of an economics textbook as enjoyable, thought-provoking, and at points even entertaining, might seem implausible. But Dr. Shawn Ritenour has accomplished the improbable with Foundations of Economics, an outstanding work that makes the sometimes obtuse jargon of economics easily understood. Practical in application and sound in economic theory, Dr. Ritenour's excellent text is unapologetically free market oriented and incorporates a biblical worldview, providing a perspective on economics nearly universally missed by other texts. I pray the book finds a wide audience." --David Wesley Whitlock, President, Oklahoma Baptist University
"Dr. Ritenour has written an exceptional economics text. The book simultaneously avoids technical jargon, injects humor into the alleged 'dismal science,' and seamlessly integrates the Christian faith into the discipline. Dr. Ritenour's text is a great illustration of how practical and applicable the study of economics can be." --Dr. Ronda O. Credille, Professor of Business Administration, Southwest Baptist University