Foundations of Economics

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. ""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 ""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. author of Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, The Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Work. ""Professor Ritenour has produced an elegantly written and masterfully organized work . . . Any student who fully absorbs this book will be head and shoulders above the vast majority of principles students today, and it is encouraging to me to think of the powerful impact this text will have . . . In the moral underpinnings, intellectual force, and accessibility of Ritenour's text, he has created what was sorely lacking in collegiate economics today. It is an astonishing achievement."" --Timothy Terrell Associate Professor of Economics, Wofford College ""Think economics is a dry, technical subject? Read Foundations of Economics and discover a lively, humanistic field that deals with everything from the mundane to the sublime. Shawn Ritenour has produced a terrific introduction to economics for the Christian and non-Christian student alike, a smooth blend of economic theory, Christian theology, and Biblical practice. I expect it to be widely adopted by Christian colleges and universities in the U.S. and elsewhere, by homeschooling parents, and by interested members of the lay public. It'