Christian Business Review: August 2014

August 2014 Running With Christ GEORGE LEE

Total Truth: Breaking out of the Grid NANCY PEARCEY

Economic Worldviews DAVID COWAN

Work as Worship KEVIN BROWN AND MIKE WIESE

Butterflies and Worldviews J. RANDALL WALLACE

Animal Spirits vs. the Holy Spirit ERNEST LIANG

CHRISTIAN BUSINESS REVIEW AUGUST 2014

CHRISTIAN BUSINESS REVIEW ISSUE 3 AUGUST 2014 PUBLISHERS

IN THIS ISSUE

Robert Sloan

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Letter from the Editors

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Living Cases

Mohan Kuruvilla EDITOR

One person’s spiritual journey of discovery about purpose in life George Lee

Ernest Liang 7 CONTRIBUTING Leslie Haugen 14

Wallace Henley Note to Readers The views expressed in the articles in this publication are solely the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Christian Business Review, Houston Baptist University (HBU), or the HBU School of Business.

Book Excerpt

Total Truth: Breaking Out of the Grid

Biblical toolbox for constructing a Christian worldview Nancy Pearcey

EDITORS Richard Martinez

Running With Christ

Feature Article

Clash of Worldviews: How Shall the Christian Professional then Live?

Excerpts from a special panel discussion Nancy Pearcey, Wallace Henley, Rick Martinez (moderator)

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Economic Worldviews

Why Christians need a more productive dialogue on economic matters than polarized discourse on capitalism David Cowan 24

Work as Worship

How the union of work and worship defines the spiritual essence of the Christian Kevin Brown and Mike Wiese 31

Butterflies and Worldviews: Small Compromises Matter

What do small compromises in spiritual and moral choices mean to the integrity of the Christian worldview?

J. Randall Wallace 38

CBR PeerReviewed Articles

Animal Spirits versus the Holy Spirit: Worldviews and Financial Crises

Why the answer to cycles of financial crises lies in the spiritual and not the carnal realm of reformation Ernest Liang

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Guidelines for Contributors

The Christian Business Review, Issue 3 ISSN 2334-2854. Copyright 2014 Houston Baptist University. All rights reserved by original authors except as noted. Submissions to this journal are welcome. Email us at cbr@ hbu.edu. To learn about the Center for Christianity in Business, please visit www.hbu.edu/ccb.

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from the editors

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

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elcome to the third annual issue of the Christian Business Review (CBR). This year’s journal presents a focus on worldviews, a subject that is inarguably essential to understanding reality and making sense of all aspects of life. As Christians, what is our perspective on the world? What framework or set of principles defines it? A Christian worldview is uniquely marked by “the imprint of God’s objective truth on our inner life,” such that every aspect of creation is interpreted in the light of His truth.1 In an increasingly secular and confused world, a proper understanding of the Christian worldview helps set our compass to True North, i.e., God’s word. Our hope is that, as in previous issues of the CBR, readers would benefit from the insights and analyses presented in the articles that follow. Our stated mission is, as always, to challenge, equip, and edify present and future business leaders, as genuine Christ followers, to integrate biblical values into their professional lives. To the end that God may be glorified in all we do.

In this issue we open with George Lee’s personal testimony drawn from four decades of serving in the upper echelons of global enterprises. His ability to stay the course and finish the race well are fruits of early and formative training in Christian schools, and also powerful evidence of Christian worldview thinking that allowed Lee to simplify complex and confusing decisions in turbulent business environments. Nancy Pearcey’s article, “Total Truth: Breaking Out of the Grid,” is taken from the first chapter of her groundbreaking book, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity. By examining the origins and consequences of the sacred-secular split that dominates our culture and influences the worldview of many evangelicals, Pearcey sets the framework for a unified, overarching system of truth that begins with “being utterly convinced that there is a biblical perspective on everything.” This forms the basis for a Christian worldview that can be consciously constructed to inform and empower Godly life and living.

Our feature article is drawn from a panel discussion participated by Nancy Pearcey, Wallace Henley and Rick Martinez that took place in September 2013 at HBU. In “Clash of Worldviews: How Shall the Christian Professional Then Live?” the panelists offer insights on diverse dimensions of the challenges to leading a worklife based on a biblical worldview. In a sea of competing worldviews, the panelists warn of “false” values and morals and offer biblical tools and strategies needed to recover a biblical worldview on work and business.

David Cowan’s essay, “Economic Worldviews and a Proposal for Christian Dialogue,” aptly illustrates how such “false” morals exist in the context of the debate between “government” vs. “market”, and why the animus toward capitalism within and without the church is necessarily misplaced.

We begin our peer-reviewed articles with “Work as Worship” by Kevin Brown and Mike Wiese, in which the authors suggest that when work is conceived of and practiced as separate from the spiritual essence, Christians are in effect harboring multiple worldviews - living under different identities and pursuing often contradictory aims. Only when work is understood as worship can the schism be resolved and wholeness as well as holiness made possible. J. Randall Wallace, in “Butterflies and Worldviews: Small Compromises Matter,” warns against the danger of small worldview compromises that could lead to wholesale changes in one’s belief system. Possible defensive measures are suggested to help Christians guard against such ‘moral drifts’ and protect the integrity of their biblical worldview. Finally, Ernest Liang argues in his “Animal Spirits vs. The Holy Spirit: Worldviews and Financial Crises” that human passions that underlie market panics and manias are best approached as spiritual problems, not psychological traits that can be restrained, modified or guided by regulatory and educational initiatives. This perspective gives impetus to Christian witnessing and policies that encourage open dialogue of the role of moral and spiritual absolutes in times of recurrent economic turbulence.

We close this issue with a reflection on some familiar verses from the third chapter of Proverbs, fitting because an authentic Christian worldview will assuredly be marked by the virtue of wisdom as God has defined it. The one who possesses wisdom will live in peace and safety, be happy and free from fear, be content

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from the editors and gracious, have long life, be known for discretion, and even have untroubled sleep, because the Lord Himself is his confidence: “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding.” (3:13, NASB) “Her ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths are peace.” (3:17) “My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck.” (3:21-22) “Then you will walk in your way securely, And your foot will not stumble.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” (3:23-24)

We also see the incomprehensible scope of God’s wisdom and understanding that founded the earth and established the heavens, broke up the depths and cause the rain to fall (3:19-20), a vivid reminder that God’s Truth is indeed total Truth, and that it encompasses all of life and is sufficient for all our needs – spiritual, physical and intellectual.

“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom” (James 3:13). May all our work affirm this adjuration.

The Editorial Staff The Christian Business Review

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Pearcey, N. (2005), Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity, Wheaton, Il.: Crossway Books, pp. 23-24.

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running with christ

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“I have seen something else under the sun; the race is not to the swift or the battle for the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.�

Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NIV)

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ife and careers are similar to running a race. The book of Ecclesiastes was written several thousand years ago; yet there are certain life related experiences that remain the same no matter how much technology has advanced.

As the human race becomes more and more reliant on scientific reasoning of cause and effect, how we respond to the core challenges in life and adjust to the twists and turns of running the race of life depends on the fundamental principles of our beliefs. For instance, the most optimal business decision

is often not the result of the most sophisticated analysis, the best database, or the insights of leaders with the most education from the best schools.

Ethical principles and moral compass have much to do with the long range impact and future of the organizations we manage. Strong believers, average believers and non-believers will face the same type of secular life/career challenges over time. How we respond to those challenges will affect our relationship with Christ.

As I looked back at the race I have run so far, it became vividly clear how critically important it was to have Christ in my life. There were several potentially life changing cross roads when I could have chosen the resources of the secular world or taken a direction solely based upon my own intellect, secular information and expert human advice. One particular instance was my experience as the CEO and Co-Chairman of a NASDAQ listed commercial bank as it waded through the financial crisis and its aftermath from 2008-2011.

The concentration of our bank’s $1.2 billion assets under management was disproportionately skewed toward

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commercial real estate. The real estate market was in dark straits during this time, the hardest hit among all major industries across the country, and an area attracting the greatest amount of regulatory scrutiny and pressure from the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Federal Reserve.

Literally our bank management team was like running a race against headwinds in a blizzard, facing economic and regulatory hazards around every corner. Decisions had to be made without clear visibility and on the basis of mostly media driven market confusion. That was a stretch of time when I truly experienced the importance of daily personal devotion time with Christ.

I started my mornings each day with the Scripture (rather than the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times or internal reports). Running each mile with a cup of water from God’s Word provided me with a refreshed calmness of the mind and confidence to face the daily unknowns. By His Grace, the bank was able to not only overcome the economic challenges but eventually provide its shareholders with a better than expected return for their investments.

Based on what I learned as a Christian businessman over many decades, I offer the following perspectives on the crucial elements of running a race.

I. Who Are We Running For?

At the beginning of 2014, I ended my formal business career as the Chairman and CEO of the commercial bank holding company through the merger with a larger financial institution.

There were many occasions during the merger process when I took the time to reflect not only on the pros and cons of the merger, but also on my own performance in leading the organization through one of the most challenging global financial crises. The self-evaluation led me to expand my inner search to include my entire working career as to how I had functioned as a business executive who is also a follower of Christ. Was I able to run a race that honored Christ?

I grew up during the mid-1960s in a Christian school (Grace Christian School) in Manila, the Philippines. The school was established by Chinese Filipino Christian educators and a few Western missionaries who were expelled from China after the communist takeover. The school was very strict even by the standards of the 1960s. We wore uniforms with white shirts and a triangular (Trinity) shaped school pin with a distinct red colored cross right in the middle. For sports events we wore shirts with the biggest possible school emblem with the same design. There was no doubt that the intention was to insure that we always behave in and out of school in a manner not to embarrass the school and our Christian faith.

Even though we were reminded of our “responsibility” on a daily basis, to most of us (even the “good”) students the school pin and its expectation were regarded as a burden to our “freedom,” especially when we were off campus “dealing” with the “challenges of the world.” Intermural athletic events which may necessitate un-Christian-like sportsmanship especially posed a challenge. As a cross country and track runner

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representing our school I constantly wrestled with those challenges.

If our business career were a race, would it be easier if we were not running for Christ? For the past 40 years of my career, how much of the race was for Christ, and how much was for my ego and advancement in the business world? Right after the bank merger I had the opportunity to participate in the Conoco Philips half marathon run, wearing the “Living Waters” shirt. As I put on that shirt, there was immediately a flash back to my days at Grace Christian School. Here I was representing “Living Waters,” a Christian organization. Very few people may recognize me, but many I knew would recognize the organization I was running for. I proceeded to ask myself: “disregarding any secular business achievements, how have I performed as a Christian runner?”

II. How Have I Prepared for the Race?

As with any sport or task, performance is directly related to the participant’s preparation. Preparation for a race requires serious self-discipline. For weeks and months we would train daily on our own. The purpose was not only to build up our stamina but also to synchronize our minds with the body. Oftentimes it is the mind that gives up and not the body.

During the last few weeks prior to the race, we did practice runs with the coach to pick up some strategic tips and to gain confidence. By race day I had pretty much forgotten everything I had learned except one: the best thing to do in a long distance race was to keep the mind relaxed, to occupy it with thoughts that can distract the runner from the aches and fatigue of the body. At the five mile marker, my mind flashed back to my early years as a high school student in the U.S., and how early preparation at Grace Christian School played a major role in my ability to cope with the new environment.

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Who are we running for ?

Was I able to run a race that honors Christ?

How have I prepared for the race?

Do I have spiritual stamina and a focus on Christ?

Run with people who share the same vision.

Can I count on the wise counsel of like-minded believers?

Learn to recharge and restore from the only source.

Am I willing to lean on the strength of Christ and not my own?

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My father was a diplomat for the Republic of China (retreated to Taiwan in 1949). After his assignment in the Philippines he was transferred to Santiago, Chile. I came to the U.S. to finish high school in Pennsylvania and then subsequently went to college and graduate school in the Midwest.

Coming to the U.S. to attend high school was not common during the 60’s so I encountered language and cultural challenges as well as many teenage issues. I was able to get through high school and college only by the grace of God and the Christian faith I had learned and kept. I knew that my Lord Jesus was always there for me. All the chapel classes and Bible memory contests had prepared me for my early educational years in this foreign country.

I came to realize that no preparation will ever be wasted. What we practice today will impact our lives in the future. Just as a long distance run requires a lot of physical stamina and strong willpower to finish it, so a victorious Christian career requires spiritual stamina and a mind solely focused on Christ.

III. Run With People Who Share the Same Vision

Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

Running is an individual endeavor, yet one will quickly appreciate it as a group sport. Similarly our career success depends on our personal effort and intelligence as well as group effort and teamwork. In our spiritual walk it will be greatly beneficial to be associated with people who share the same conviction and worldview. There will be many twists and turns, temptations from secular victories that can lead us astray from the path with Christ. During several life changing events I encountered, I greatly benefited from the wise counsel of solid Christ followers with prayerful hearts.

IV. Learn to Recharge and Restore from the Only Source

Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-29; “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Half marathons are 13.1 miles, a short distance for some but a respectable distance for others like me. I was actually quite pleased that I was able to finish the race, and was very grateful for the water stops manned by volunteers. I know that many of us would not be able to go the distance without restoring and recharging our bodies. Unfortunately in real life ego and pride sometimes would push us away from relying on Christ’s tender loving care. We would rather carry the extra burden and “do it ourselves,” so that we can proclaim our ac-

complishments for our own glory. When life’s challenges are too strong or complicated for us to overcome, it would be wise to take time off to draw on Christ instead of plowing through with our own strengths.

Closing Thoughts

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, has run the race for all of us. He ran all the way to the cross which demonstrates God’s love for the world, so that we may all have the opportunity to receive the trophy of salvation. During our careers we, who claim to be His followers, are also given many opportunities to run races for Christ, with witnesses watching our every step. We all need to make a commitment to prepare for such opportunities. We must be open to “running with Christ” with a humble heart, and to stay close to Him every step along the way so as to draw on His strength, lest we grow weary and lose heart. Let us finish the race with the glory of the Kingdom in our focus.

About the Author George Lee is Chairman of the 100KStrong Foundation, Chairman of East-West Bank’s Advisory Board for Texas, and Chairman of the Board for the data cloud technology company Panton Inc. Until January 2014 Mr. Lee was Co-Chairman, CEO & President of Metro Corp Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:MCBI), which had managed assets of over $1.5 billion, with market presence in Texas and California and representative offices in Chongqing and Xiamen, China. From 1998 to 2003, Mr. Lee served as the President and CEO of Erimos Pharmaceuticals (formerly BioCure Medical LLC), a joint venture of Johns Hopkins University and a private investment group with focus on cancer research. From 1994 through 1998, Mr. Lee was an investor and EVP of Strategic Planning at Higher Dimension Medical LLC in St. Paul, Minnesota, a cutting edge high tech company involved in the development and manufacturing of puncture-proof materials. Mr. Lee earned his M.B.A. from Minnesota State University and his B.S. in Econometrics from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

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*Content taken from Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey, Š2008, Chapter 1. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.

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TOTAL TRUTH

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Sundays were Sundays, with the rest of the week largely detached, operating by a different set of rules.

Can these two worlds that seem so separate ever merge?

John Beckett1

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fashionably dressed college student stepped into the counselor’s office, tossing her head in an attempt at bravado. Sarah recognized the type. The Planned Parenthood clinic where she worked often attracted students from the elite university nearby, and most were wealthy, privileged, and self-confident.

“Please sit down. I have your test result . . . and you are pregnant.”

The young woman nodded and grimaced. “I kind of thought so.”

“Have you thought about what you want to do?” Sarah asked.

The answer was quick and sure. “I want an abortion.”

“Let’s go over your options first,” Sarah said, “It’s important for you to think through all the possibilities before you leave today.”

Sometimes the young women sitting in her office would grow impatient, even hostile. They had already convinced themselves that there were no other viable options.

After years of experience in her profession, however, Sarah knew that women who have abortions are often haunted afterward. She hoped to help the students consider the impact an abortion might have in years to come, so they would make an informed decision. If they balked, she fell back on protocol: “This is my job, I have to do it.”

Why did Sarah care? Because she was a practicing Christian, as she explained to me many years later,2 and she thought that’s what being a believer meant—showing compassion to women who were considering abortion. Nor was she alone: The Planned Parenthood clinic where she worked was located in the Bible belt, and virtually all the women on staff were regular church-goers. During breaks they would discuss things like their Bible study groups or their children’s Sunday school programs.

Sarah’s story illustrates how even sincere believers may find themselves drawn into a secular worldview—while remaining orthodox in their theological beliefs. Sarah had grown up in a solidly evangelical denomination. As a teenager, she had undergone a crisis of faith and had emerged from it with a fresh confidence. “I still have the white Bible my grandmother gave me back then,” she told me. “I underlined all the passages on how to be sure you were saved.” From then on, she never doubted the basic biblical doctrines.

So how did she end up working at Planned Parenthood and referring women for abortion? Something happened to Sarah when she went off to college. There she was immersed in the liberal relativism taught on most campuses today. In courses on sociology, anthropology, and philosophy, it was simply assumed that truth is culturally relative—that

ideas and beliefs emerge historically by cultural forces, and are not true or false in any final sense.

And Christianity? It was treated as irrelevant to the world of scholarship. “In a class on moral philosophy, the professor presented every possible theory, from existentialism to utilitarianism, but never said a word about Christian moral theory—even though it’s been the dominant religion all through Western history,” Sarah recalled. “It was as though Christianity were so irrational, it didn’t even merit being listed alongside the other moral theories.”

Yet Sarah had no idea how to respond to these assaults on her faith. Her church had helped her find assurance of salvation, but it had not provided her with any intellectual resources to challenge the ideologies taught in her classes. The church’s teaching had assumed a sharp divide between the sacred and secular realms, addressing itself solely to Sarah’s religious life. As a result, over time she found herself absorbing the secular outlook taught in her classes. Her mental world was split, with religion strictly contained within the boundaries of worship and personal morality, while her views on everything else were run through a grid of naturalism and relativism.

“I may have started out picking up bits and pieces of a secular worldview to sprinkle on top of my Christian beliefs,” Sarah explained. “But after I graduated and worked for Planned Parenthood, the pattern was reversed: My Christianity was reduced to a thin veneer over the core of a secular worldview. It was almost like having a split personality.” Her mind had absorbed the divided concepts of truth characteristic of Western culture: secular/sacred, fact/value, public/private. Though her faith was sincere, it was reduced to purely private experience, while public knowledge was defined in terms of secular naturalism.

Sarah’s story is particularly dramatic, yet it illustrates a pattern that is more common than we might like to think.

The fatal weakness in her faith was that she had accepted Christian doctrines strictly as individual items of belief: the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, His miracles, His resurrection from the dead—she could tick them off one by one. But she lacked any sense of how Christianity functions as a unified, overarching system of truth that applies to social issues, history, politics, anthropology, and all the other subject areas. In short, she lacked a Christian worldview. She held to Christianity as a collection of truths, but not as Truth.3

Only many years later, after a personal crisis, were Sarah’s relativistic views finally challenged. “When Congress held hearings on partial-birth abortion, I was appalled. And I realized that if abortion was wrong at nine months, then it was wrong at eight months, and wrong at seven months, and six months—right back to the beginning.” It was a shattering experience, and Sarah found she had to take apart her secular worldview plank by plank, and then begin painstakingly constructing a Christian worldview in its place. It was tough work, yet today she is discovering the joy of breaking out of the trap of the secular/sacred split, and seeing her faith come alive in areas where before she had not even known it applied. She is learning that Christianity is not just religious truth, it is total truth—covering all of reality.

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TOTAL TRUTH

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Divided Minds Like Sarah, many believers have absorbed the fact/value, public/private dichotomy, restricting their faith to the religious sphere while adopting whatever views are current in their professional or social circles. We probably all know of Christian teachers who uncritically accept the latest secular theories of education; Christian businessmen who run their operations by accepted secular management theories; Christian ministries that mirror the commercial world’s marketing techniques; Christian families where the teenagers watch the same movies and listen to the same music as their nonbelieving friends. While sincere in their faith, they have absorbed their views on just about everything else by osmosis from the surrounding culture.

The problem was phrased succinctly by Harry Blamires in his classic book The Christian Mind. When I was a new Christian many years ago, Blamires’s book was almost a fad item, and everyone walked around intoning its dramatic opening sentence: “There is no longer a Christian mind.”4

What did Blamires mean? He was not saying that Christians are uneducated, backwoods hayseeds, though that remains a common stereotype in the secular world. A few years ago an infamous article in the Washington Post described conservative Christians as “poor, uneducated, and easily led.”5 Immediately the Post was overwhelmed with calls and faxes from Christians across the country, listing their advanced degrees and bank account balances!

But if that’s not what Blamires meant, what did he mean? To say there is no Christian mind means that believers may be highly educated in terms of technical proficiency, and yet have no biblical worldview for interpreting the subject matter of their field. “We speak of ‘the modern mind’ and of ‘the scientific mind,’ using that word mind of a collectively accepted set of notions and attitudes,” Blamires explains. But there is no “Christian mind”—no shared, biblically based set of assumptions on subjects like law, education, economics, politics, science, or the arts. As a moral being, the Christian follows the biblical ethic. As a spiritual being, he or she prays and attends worship services. “But as a thinking being, the modern Christian has succumbed to secularism,” accepting “a frame of reference constructed by the secular mind and a set of criteria reflecting secular evaluations.”6 That is, when we enter the stream of discourse in our field or profession, we participate mentally as non-Christians, using the current concepts and categories, no matter what our private beliefs may be.

Living in the Washington, D.C., area, I have witnessed firsthand the growing numbers of believers working in politics today, which is an encouraging trend. But I can also say from experience that few hold an explicitly Christian political philosophy. As a congressional chief of staff once admitted, “I realize that I hold certain views because I’m politically conservative, not because I see how they’re rooted in the Bible.”

He knew he should formulate a biblically based philosophy of government, but he simply didn’t know how to proceed.

Similarly, through decades of writing on science and worldview, I have interacted with scientists who are deeply committed believers; yet few have crafted a biblically informed philosophy of science. In Christian ministries, I’ve met many who take great pains to make sure their message is biblical, but who never think to ask whether their methods are biblical. A journalism professor recently told me that even the best Christian journalists—sincere believers with outstanding professional skills—typically have no Christian theory of journalism. In popular culture, believers have constructed an entire parallel culture of artists and entertainers; yet even so, as Charlie Peacock laments, few “think Christianly” about art and aesthetics.7 The phrase is borrowed from Blamires, and when I addressed a group of artists and musicians in Charlie’s home, he showed me a shelf with half a dozen copies of Blamires’s book—enough to lend out to several friends at once.

“Thinking Christianly” means understanding that Christianity gives the truth about the whole of reality, a perspective for interpreting every subject matter. Genesis tells us that God spoke the entire universe into being with His Word—what John 1:1 calls the Logos. The Greek word means not only Word but also reason or rationality, and the ancient Stoics used it to mean the rational structure of the universe. Thus the underlying structure of the entire universe reflects the mind of the Creator. There is no fact/value dichotomy in the scriptural account. Nothing has an autonomous or independent identity, separate from the will of the Creator. As a result, all creation must be interpreted in light of its relationship to God. In any subject area we study, we are discovering the laws or creation ordinances by which God structured the world.

As Scripture puts it, the universe speaks of God—“the heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1)—because His character is reflected in the things He has made. This is sometimes referred to as “general” revelation because it speaks to everyone at all times, in contrast to the “special” revelation given in the Bible. As Jonathan Edwards explained, God communicates not only “by his voice to us in the Scriptures” but also in creation and in historical events. Indeed, “the whole creation of God preaches.”8 Yet it is possible for Christians to

As a moral being, the Christian follows the biblical ethic. As a spiritual being, he or she prays and attends worship services. But as a thinking being, the modern Christian has succumbed to secularism.

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“Thinking Christianly” means understanding that Christianity gives the truth about the whole of reality, a perspective for interpreting every subject matter. be deaf and blind to the message of general revelation, and part of learning to have the mind of Christ involves praying for the spiritual sensitivity to “hear” the preaching of creation.

The great historian of religion Martin Marty once said every religion serves two functions: First, it is a message of personal salvation, telling us how to get right with God; and second, it is a lens for interpreting the world. Historically, evangelicals have been good at the first function—at “saving souls.” But they have not been nearly as good at helping people to interpret the world around them—at providing a set of interrelated concepts that function as a lens to give a biblical view of areas like science, politics, economics, or bioethics. As Marty puts it, evangelicals have typically “accented personal piety and individual salvation, leaving men to their own devices to interpret the world around them.”

In fact, many no longer think it’s even the function of Christianity to provide an interpretation of the world. Marty calls this the Modern Schism (in a book by that title), and he says we are living in the first time in history where Christianity has been boxed into the private sphere and has largely stopped speaking to the public sphere.9

“This internalization or privatization of religion is one of the most momentous changes that has ever taken place in Christendom,” writes another historian, Sidney Mead.10 As a result, our lives are often fractured and fragmented, with our faith firmly locked into the private realm of church and family, where it rarely has a chance to inform our life and work in the public realm. The aura of worship dissipates after Sunday, and we unconsciously absorb secular attitudes the rest of the week. We inhabit two separate “worlds,” navigating a sharp divide between our religious life and ordinary life.

tools for every issue we encounter? We must begin by being utterly convinced that there is a biblical perspective on everything—not just on spiritual matters. The Old Testament tells us repeatedly that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10; 15:33). Similarly, the New Testament teaches that in Christ are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). We often interpret these verses to mean spiritual wisdom only, but the text places no limitation on the term. “Most people have a tendency to read these passages as though they say that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of religious knowledge,” writes Clouser. “But the fact is that they make a very radical claim—the claim that somehow all knowledge depends upon religious truth.”11

This claim is easier to grasp when we realize that Christianity is not unique in this regard. All belief systems work the same way. As we saw earlier, whatever a system puts forth as self-existing is essentially what it regards as divine.

And that religious commitment functions as the controlling principle for everything that follows. The fear of some “god” is the beginning of every proposed system of knowledge.

Once we understand how first principles work, then it becomes clear that all truth must begin with God. The only selfexistent reality is God, and everything else depends on Him for its origin and continued existence. Nothing exists apart from His will; nothing falls outside the scope of the central turning points in biblical history: Creation, Fall, and Redemption.

Creation

The Christian message does not begin with “accept Christ as your Savior”; it begins with “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The Bible teaches that God is the sole source of the entire created order. No other gods compete with Him; no natural forces exist on their own; nothing receives its nature or existence from another source.

Thus His word, or laws, or creation ordinances give the world its order and structure. God’s creative word is the source of the laws of physical nature, which we study in the natural sciences. It is also the source of the laws of human nature—the principles of morality (ethics), of justice (politics), of creative enterprise (economic), of aesthetics (the arts), and even of clear thinking (logic). That’s why Psalm 119:91 says, “all things are your servants.” There is no philosophically or spiritually neutral subject matter.

All truth must begin with God. The only self-existent reality is God….

Nothing exists apart from His will; nothing falls outside the scope of the central turning points in biblical history: Creation, Fall, and Redemption.

Biblical Toolbox

What is the antidote to the secular/sacred divide? How do we make sure our toolbox contains biblically based conceptual

Fall

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The universality of Creation is matched by the universality of the Fall. The Bible teaches that all parts of creation—including our minds—are caught up in a great rebellion against the Creator. Theologians call this the “noetic” effect of the Fall (the effect on the mind), and it subverts our ability to understand the world apart from God’s regenerating grace. Scripture is replete with warnings that idolatry or willful disobedience toward God makes humans “blind” or “deaf.” Paul writes, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel” (2 Cor. 4:4). Sin literally “darkens” the understanding (Eph. 4:18).12

Of course, nonbelievers still function in God’s world, bear God’s image, and are upheld by God’s common grace, which means they are capable of uncovering isolated segments of genuine knowledge. And Christians should welcome those insights. All truth is God’s truth, as the church fathers used to say; and they urged Christians to “plunder the Egyptians” by appropriating the best of secular scholarship, showing how it actually fits best within a biblical worldview. There may even be occasions when Christians are mistaken on some point while nonbelievers get it right. Nevertheless, the overall systems of thought constructed by nonbelievers will be false—for if the system is not built on biblical truth, then it will be built on some other ultimate principle.

Even individual truths will be seen through the distorting lens of a false worldview. As a result, a Christian approach to any field needs to be both critical and constructive. We cannot simply borrow from the results of secular scholarship as though that were spiritually neutral territory discovered by people whose minds are completely open and objective—that is, as though the Fall had never happened.

us “a new heart, and a new spirit” (Ezek. 36:26), animating our entire character with new life.

This explains why the Bible treats sin primarily as a matter of turning away from God and serving other gods, and only secondarily in terms of lists of specific immoral behaviors.

The first commandment is, after all, the first commandment— the rest follows only after we are straight about whom or what it is that we are worshiping. By the same token, redemption consists primarily in casting out our mental idols and turning back to the true God. And when we do that, we will experience His transforming power renewing every aspect of our lives.

To talk about a Christian worldview is simply another way of saying that when we are redeemed, our entire outlook on life is re-centered on God and re-built on His revealed truth.

Read the Directions

Redemption

Finally, Redemption is as comprehensive as Creation and Fall. God does not save only our souls, while leaving our minds to function on their own. He redeems the whole person. Conversion is meant to give new direction to our thoughts, emotions, will, and habits. Paul urges us to offer up our entire selves to God as “living sacrifices,” so that we will not be “conformed to this world” but be “transformed by the renewal of [our] minds” (Rom. 12:12). When we are redeemed, all things are made new (2 Cor. 5:17). God promises to give

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How do we go about constructing a Christian worldview? The key passage is the creation account in Genesis, because that’s where we are taken back to the beginning to learn what God’s original purpose was in creating the human race. With the entrance of sin, humans went off course, lost their way, wandered off the path. But when we accept Christ’s salvation, we are put back on the right path and are restored to our original purpose. Redemption is not just about being saved from sin, it is also being saved to something—to resume the task for which we were originally created.

And what was that task? In Genesis, God gives what

This was God’s purpose when He originally created human beings, and it remains His purpose for us today. God’s original plan was not abrogated by the Fall. Sin has corrupted every aspect of human nature, but it has not made us less than human. We are not animals. We still reflect, “through a glass, darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12, KJV), our original nature as God’s image-bearer. Even nonbelievers carry out the Cultural Mandate: They “multiply and fill the earth”—which is to say, they get married, raise families, start schools, run businesses. And they “cultivate the earth”—they fix cars, write books, study nature, invent new gadgets.

we might call the first job description: “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” The first phrase, “be fruitful and multiply,” means to develop the social world; build families, churches, schools, cities, governments, laws. The second phrase, “subdue the earth,” means to harness the natural world: plant crops, build bridges, design computers, compose music. This passage is sometimes called the Cultural Mandate because it tell us that our original purpose was to create cultures, build civilizations—nothing less.13

This means that our vocation or professional work is not a second-class activity, something we do just to put food on the table. It is the high calling for which we were originally created. The way we serve a Creator God is by being creative with the talents and gifts He has given us. We could even say that we are called to continue God’s own creative work. Of course, we do not create from nothing, ex nihilo, as God did; our job is to develop the powers and potentials that God originally built into the creation—using wood to build houses, cotton to make clothes, or silicon to make computer chips. Though modern social and economic institutions are not explicitly referred to in the Garden of Eden, their biblical justification is rooted in the Cultural Mandate.

In the first six days of the Genesis narrative, God forms then fills the physical universe—the sky with the sun and moon, the sea with its swimming creatures, the earth with its land animals. Then the narrative pauses, as though to emphasize that the next step will be the culmination of all that has gone before. This is the only stage in the creative process when God announces His plan ahead of time, when the members of the Trinity consult with one another: Let Us make a creature in Our image, who will represent Us and carry on Our work on earth (see Gen. 1:26). Then God creates the first human couple, to have dominion over the earth and govern it in His name.

It is obvious from the text that humans are not supreme rulers, autonomously free to do whatever they wish.

Their dominion is a delegated authority: They are representatives of the Supreme Ruler, called to reflect His holy and loving care for creation. They are to “cultivate” the earth—a word that has the same root as “culture.” The way we express the image of God is by being creative and building cultures.

After I spoke at a conference, a young woman said to me, “When you talk about the Cultural Mandate, you’re not talking about anything distinctively Christian; these are things everybody does.” But that’s precisely the point: Genesis is telling us our true nature, the things we can’t help doing, the way God created everyone to function. Our purpose is precisely to fulfill our God-given nature.

The Fall did not destroy our original calling, but only made it more difficult. Our work is now marked by sorrow and hard labor. In Genesis 3:16 and 17, the Hebrew uses the same word for the “labor” of childbearing and the “labor” of growing food. The text suggests that the two central tasks of adulthood—raising the next generation and making a living—will be fraught with the pain of living in a fallen and fractured world. All our efforts will be twisted and misdirected by sin and selfishness.

Yet when God redeems us, He releases us from the guilt and power of sin and restores us to our full humanity, so that we can once again carry out the tasks for which we were created. Because of Christ’s redemption on the cross, our work takes on a new aspect as well—it becomes a means of sharing in His redemptive purposes. In cultivating creation, we not only recover our original purpose but also bring a redemptive force to reverse the evil and corruption introduced by the Fall.

We offer our gifts to God to participate in making His Kingdom come, His will be done. With hearts and minds renewed, our work can now be inspired by love for God and delight in His service.

The lesson of the Cultural Mandate is that our sense of fulfillment depends on engaging in creative, constructive work.

The ideal human existence is not eternal leisure or an endless vacation—or even a monastic retreat into prayer and meditation—but creative effort expended for the glory of God and the benefit of others. Our calling is not just to “get to heaven” but also to cultivate the earth, not just to “save souls” but also to serve God through our work. For God Himself is engaged not only in the work of salvation (special grace) but also in the work of preserving and developing His creation (common grace). When we obey the Cultural Mandate, we participate in the work of God Himself, as agents of His common grace.

Our vocation or professional work is not a second-class activity, something we do just to put food on the table. It is the high calling for which we were originally created.

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This is the rich content that should come to mind when we hear the word Redemption. The term does not refer only to a one-time conversion event. It means entering upon a lifelong quest to devote our skills and talents to building things that are beautiful and useful, while fighting the forces of evil and sin that oppress and distort the creation. How Now Shall We Live? added a fourth category—Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration—to emphasize the theme of ongoing vocation.

Some theologians suggest the fourth category should be Glorification, to call to mind our final goal of living in the new heavens and new earth, for which our work here is a preparation.

Whatever term we use, being a Christian means embarking on a lifelong process of growth in grace, both in our personal lives (sanctification) and in our vocation (cultural renewal).

The new heavens and new earth will be a continuation of the creation we know now—purified by fire, but recognizably the same, just as Jesus was recognizable in His resurrection body.

As C.S. Lewis puts it at the end of his Narnia tales, we have started a great adventure story that will never end. It is the “Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”14

About the Author Nancy Pearcey

has authored several books, including Saving Leonardo and the bestselling Gold Medallion Award winner Total Truth (Crossway, 2004). Hailed in The Economist as “America’s pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual,” Pearcey has lectured widely on university campuses and has been featured on national TV, on radio, and in the nationally released 2014 Focus on the Family film Irreplaceable. Currently Pearcey is a professor and scholar in residence at HBU, as well as director of the Francis Schaeffer Center for Worldview and Culture and editor at large of The Pearcey Report. A student of the late Francis Schaeffer at L’Abri, Pearcey holds an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Covenant Theological Seminary and an honorary doctorate from Cairn University.

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Notes 1 John D. Beckett, Loving Monday: Succeeding in Business Without Selling Your Soul (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1998), 52.

2 “Sarah,” in discussion with the author. The name has been changed to protect her privacy, but otherwise the story is completely true and accurate.

3 Francis Schaeffer explains this phenomenon in A Christian Manifesto, in The Complete Works of Francis A. Shcaeffer, vol. 5 (Wheton, Ill.: Crossway, 1982), 424-425. “Many Christians do not mean what I mean when I say Christianity is true, or Truth. They are Christians and they believe in, let us say, the truth of creation, the truth of the virgin birth, the truth of Christ’s miracles, Christ’s substitutionary death, and His coming again. But they stop there with these and other individual truths. When I say Christianity is true I mean it is true to total reality – the total of what is….Christianity is not just a series of truths but Truth – Truth about all of reality.”

4 Harry Blamires, The Christian Mind (New York: Seabury, 1963), 3, emphasis added.

5 Michael Weiskopf, “Energized by Pulpit or Passion, the Public is Calling: ‘Gospel Grapevine’ Displays Strength in Controversy Over Military Gay Ban,” The Washington Post, February 1, 1993, A1.

Blamires, Christian Mind, 3-4, emphasis in original.

Charlie Peacock, At the Crossroads: An Insider’s Look at the Past, Present, and Future of Contemporary Christian Music (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999).

8 Cited in Allen C. Guelzo, “The Return of the Will,” in Edwards in Our Time: Jonathan Edwards and the Shaping of American Religion, ed. Sang Hyun Lee and Allen C. Guelzo (Grand Rapids, Mich,: Eerdmans, 1999), 133.

9 Martin Marty, The Modern Schism: Three Paths to the Secular (New York: Harper & Row, 1969), 40. See also 57, 92, 96.

10 Sidney Mead, The Old Religion in the Brave New World: Reflections on the Relation Between Christendom and the Republic (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1977), 4.

11 Roy Clouser, The Myth of Religious Neutrality: An Essay on the Hidden Role of Religious Belief in Theories (Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 1991), 80.

12 Other passages on this theme include Isaiah 6:9-10; 42:18-20; 43:8; Matthew 15:14; 23:16ff; 2 Peter 1:9.

13 When I lecture on the Cultural Mandate, many people say that they have never encountered the concept before. Thus readers may benefit from my more detailed treatment of the Cultural Mandate in “Saved to What?” chapter 31 in Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey, How Now Shall We Live? (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 1999).

14 C. S. Lewis, The Last Battle (New York: HarperCollins, 1994), 211.

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Editor’s Note: On September 27, 2013, the Center for Christianity in Business at HBU invited two well respected experts on Christian apologetics, Nancy Pearcey and Dr. Wallace Henley, to participate in a dialogue on worldviews at a luncheon gathering of business people. What follows is an edited excerpt of this enlightening discussion, moderated by Dr. Rick Martinez of HBU. It is presented here for the benefit of the general community of believers in the marketplace.

Martinez: Why is worldview such an important issue for

business, and why, specifically, is the biblical worldview important?

Henley: Because a worldview is a big packing box that contains: Vision, Values, Mission, Goals, and Objectives. Worldview is at the heart of the formation of corporate culture, the

inner drive of a company, and its “name” in and before all its environments.

The need for the biblical worldview becomes clear when we realize the alternative worldviews. To mention a few: Marxism - While a mix of Marxist and free enterprise thought would seem as contradictory, there are subtle forces driven by socialist-leaning progressivism that pop up occasionally in people like George Soros, Warren Buffet, and especially former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg.1 The thrust of socialist and Progressivist influence within a business is to drive corporations to be instruments of an egalitarian philosophy.

Nihilism - Here there is no overarching meaning or purpose for anything. The impact of this worldview

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is to drive the corporation to strong-arm markets and obliterate competition. The corporate culture will be one that goes beyond winning at any cost to a passion to create destructive environments that the business then seeks to exploit for profit. For example, the porn and illegal drug industries are completely nihilistic.

Existentialism - The existentialist will do whatever is necessary to survive in the moment and forget long term consequences. The 2008 financial collapse was brought on by existentialist attitudes in vital institutions in both the public and private sectors. We could also say that the federal government’s fiscal policies—as well as that of many states—are existentialist.

Eastern mysticism - This worldview prevails in much of Silicon Valley and the information industry. The Googleplex tries to create a Nirvana-like environment where its whiz kids can get in touch with themselves, the universe, or whatever. This is an attempt to mingle mysticism and the cyberspace, creating a virtual Nirvana. This worldview drives corporations to create virtual worlds into which they seek to drive us deeper and deeper. But actually they create an environment that makes us shallower and shallower. Nicholas Carr’s book, The Shallows, explores this in depth (pun intended).

Martinez: What are some of the Big Picture questions we

need to wrestle with first, to make sure we have the right biblical tools in hand before we get down to practical questions?

Pearcey: Before we get into specific strategies, I’d like to

talk about some of the reasons we can find it difficult to apply our Christian convictions in the realm of work. Some of them are attitudes inside the church, and some are barriers set up outside by a secular culture.

What are the attitudes we encounter inside the Christian world? You might say there are two versions of Christian thinking on the subject of work and business - We can call them the Genesis 1 version and the Genesis 3 version.

Let’s take the Genesis 3 version first - that’s the passage where we read about the fall into sin. So this approach is the classic revivalist message: you’re a sinner, you need to get saved. Applied to the wider world, it tends to foster a sharp sacred/secular division. Business is essentially a secular arena, and the main reason it’s good for Christians to be out there in the world of business and industry is to evangelize, to be a witness to the gospel, and to make money to give to missions.

What’s missing in that approach is that it does not give a biblical view of work itself - a sense that business can be a spiritual calling, a vocation - a conviction that biblical truth applies to the workplace, to management, marketing, and financial policy, etc.

The Genesis 3 approach has an ark mentality - the world is on the path to destruction, so ultimately our pur-

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The Panelists

Nancy Pearcey has authored

several books, including Saving Leonardo and the bestselling Gold Medallion Award winner Total Truth (Crossway, 2004). Hailed in The Economist as “America’s pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual,” Pearcey has lectured widely on university campuses and has been featured on national TV, on radio, and in the nationally released 2014 Focus on the Family film Irreplaceable. Currently Pearcey is a professor and scholar in residence at HBU, as well as director of the Francis Schaeffer Center for Worldview and Culture and editor at large of The Pearcey Report.

A student of the late Francis Schaeffer at L’Abri, Pearcey holds an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Covenant Theological Seminary and an honorary doctorate from Cairn University.

Wallace Henley is the author

of more than 20 books, including the best-selling Globequake (Thomas Nelson, 2012). As a leadership consultant, he has conducted leadership conferences in 22 countries. Previously a domestic policy aide in the Nixon White House and staffer in the U.S. Department of Justice and House of Representatives, Henley is currently a senior associate pastor at Houston’s Second Baptist Church and an adjunct professor of Worldview Studies at Belhaven University.

Henley attended Southwestern Seminary, Trinity Theological Seminary, and holds an honorary doctorate from Encourager Seminary, New Delhi, India.

Rick Martinez is the chair of

the Department of Management, Marketing and Business and associate professor of Management at the HBU School of Business.

Prior to joining HBU, Dr. Martinez taught at Charleston Southern University, where he also directed the Center for Christian Leadership. Prior to college, he served in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear power plant operator aboard surface ships. Dr. Martinez holds a B.S. in Political Science from Arizona State, an MBA from Baylor, and a Ph.D. in Management from Texas A&M University.

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pose is to save people out of the world and get them on the ark going to heaven. There is little sense of a spiritual calling even in so-called “secular” professions like business, and if work takes up most of our waking hours, then it means a huge part of life is sealed off from what matters most to us. We are not going to experience the joy and power that God promises us in Scripture.

Martinez: If that’s the Genesis 3 version, what’s the Genesis 1 version?

Pearcey: The other way of thinking about work starts with

Genesis 1 - with creation instead of the fall. In the account of creation, we read the first job description - a job description given to the entire human race: “be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth.”

Be fruitful did not just mean raise families - it also means all the other social institutions that historically grow out of the family - school, church, business, government. So the verse means to develop the entire social world.

The second phrase, subdue the earth, means develop the natural world - be creative in harnessing natural resources: Plant crops and process the fiber into clothing; take wood and string and make musical instruments and the arts; take sand, silicone, and make computer chips; take polymers and make plastics and synthetic fibers.

Theologians sometimes call this the cultural mandate, because it means God has called us to build cultures, civilizations. Of course, with the entrance of sin into the world, humans fell off the track, and in salvation we are put back on the track. But what’s the track? What was God’s original purpose in creating the human race? Our original purpose was to be creative in developing God’s entire creation - to cultivate the garden.

We can think of this as the difference between special grace - the grace of salvation - and common grace or providence - the way God upholds and cares for all of creation. As his people, we are called to be agents of God’s special grace by bearing the gospel message of salvation, but we are also called to be agents of God’s common grace - to join in his work in sustaining and caring for all of creation. That’s the cultural mandate.

So in the Genesis 1 view, the work of the entrepreneur or the business manager is not second-class work compared to the minister or missionary. It’s an act of obedience to the cultural mandate - a way to fulfill God’s original purpose in creating the human race in the first place.

Martinez: I would guess that the Genesis 3 version sounds more familiar to most of us.

Pearcey: That’s the version most churches teach. A survey

done several years ago by a Notre Dame sociologist asked people how Christianity should affect the world of work and business. The only thing most respondents could think of was injecting devotional activities into the workplace, like prayer meetings or Bible studies. Many stressed their own moral witness on the job. In fact, honesty was the single factor most often

mentioned (listed by more than one out of three evangelicals).

A Baptist woman said, “If you [are honest], most everything will take care of itself.” How’s that for an economic policy?

What’s missing in these responses? The understanding of Christianity is limited to devotional activities. Not one of those surveyed talked about a biblical perspective on the work itself, or the need for a biblically informed approach to management or marketing theory. None of them talked about how a Christian might analyze economic theories by biblical principles or their work as service to God or as fulfillment of the Cultural Mandate in Genesis 1.

Here we’ve put our finger on a major reason people have difficulty with the very idea of applying Christianity to the workplace - they think it means quoting Bible verses in the boardroom or asking secular coworkers to pray with you, or some other kind of devotional activity. They do not realize a Christian worldview applies to work in all sorts of different dimensions.

Once we had a guest speaker, a mainstream newspaper reporter, came to the World Journalism Institute when I was there. He was a Christian himself, so what he told our students took us by surprise. He said, “When you enter the newsroom, you have to leave your faith behind. You can’t bring a Christian perspective into your reporting.” It turned out what he meant is you can’t quote John 3:16 in the secular newsroom.

But there is much more to being a Christian in the media. We all know too well how much the media can spin the news. With every news story, reporters make dozens of decisions based on their personal views and values: which stories to pursue; who they choose to interview; which quotes they select for the article; how much space they give to a topic; whether the tone of the story is critical or sympathetic; whether it is featured on the front page or gets buried in the back, etc.

It is impossible to report the news without some interpretive framework. If a Christian perspective is ruled out, then secular perspectives are going to rush in to fill the vacuum.

Martinez: What are some good examples of ‘values’ and ‘morals’ commonly affirmed in the world of commerce that could in fact compromise a believer’s integrity and corrupt his/her worldview surreptitiously?

Henley: Let me just address two broad categories of ‘values’ and ‘morals’ prevalent in today’s culture and workplace.

Equivalency - moral values are seen as subjective and of equal validity since they are true for the individual holding them. A subtle twisting of Descartes’ famous aphorism, “I think, therefore, I am,” is now, “I behave, therefore I am right.”

Egalitarianism – In this view people should be guaranteed equal opportunity, but they should also be given equal outcomes. This penalizes the productivity of a committed employee through ‘leveling’, an attempt - now often helped by government policy - to see to it the worker with a substandard work ethic and product enjoys the same outcomes

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as the seriously committed employee. Egalitarianism is a theme in much of American public education, and it is inevitable that it would seep into the business world.

Martinez: Can we drill it down more, examples from the Genesis 3 version, perhaps?

Pearcey: Let me give you a story about one of my own sons.

When my son was a teenager, he worked at a Christian bookstore. The staff decided to run a raffle as a marketing gimmick.

But when the winning name was pulled, it turned out to be a customer who did not shop there often. Now the staff had hoped to use the raffle to reward one of their favorite customers. So they decided to rig it. They sorted through the names in the bowl until they found a customer they liked, and declared her the winner.

The bookstore staff were sincere in their Christian faith. But had they thought through how biblical ethics apply to the way they ran their business? Did they really think cheating is an acceptable way to run a business for those who claim to be disciples of Jesus? Or does business belong in the “secular” realm where Christian principles don’t apply - where you play by a different set of rules; where the bottom line is attracting customers and being financially successful?

Consider another example. A man underwent a dramatic conversion experience, and eventually rose to leadership in a Christian ministry. But secular ways of doing business were so ingrained that he resorted to them without even thinking. For example, to impress the public, he used well-known statistical tricks to shade the numbers and make his ministry seem far more effective than it really was. How common do you think this is? The Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary has published some pretty shocking numbers: “250 of the 300 largest international Christian organizations regularly mislead the Christian public by publishing demonstrably incorrect or falsified progress statistics.”2 Why? In order to attract more donor dollars.

Business and ministry leaders like these are not always intentionally corrupt or evil. Most are sincere in their Christian commitment. But they are so trapped in the sacred/ secular split that they literally do not recognize unethical behavior when it occurs in so-called secular realms such as business, marketing, advertising, legal contracts, and so on. Here’s another surprising statistic, also from CSGC, that “Trusted church treasurers are embezzling each year $16 billion out of church funds, but only 5% ever get found out. …Annual church embezzlements by top custodians exceed the entire cost of all foreign missions worldwide.” What do these numbers show?

The sacred/secular division produces people with a saved heart but a secular mind - and secular moral decisions.

Martinez: How can we recover a biblical worldview on work and business?

Henley: First, connect the dots. Jesus said the test that distinguishes true and false prophets is the fruit. Without

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violating restrictions on religion in the workplace, we need to teach corporate management and employees the link between worldview and outcome, and the fact that there are indeed worldviews that produce greater fruit both for the enterprise and the host community than others.

Second, employ a Matthew 13:33 strategy. Jesus said the Kingdom is like leaven, which a woman placed in a lump of dough, and it stayed there until the whole was leavened. There are three dynamics at work here: Penetration - the insertion of Kingdom values into the ‘lump of dough’ (the corporation)

Permeation - the ‘natural,’ non-forced advance of Kingdom values into the whole of the corporation, summed up in three vital business components: customers, employees, finance.

Precipitation - this is catalytic transformation. As the other two dynamics operate, transformation is precipitated, and is not coercive, but embraced.

Third, practice incarnational ministry that inspires the 1 Peter 3:15 question: “...sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

Martinez: Earlier Nancy mentioned there are barriers put

up by the secular society against bringing a Christian perspective into the workplace. What are these barriers?

Pearcey: The secular world really has its own version of the

sacred/secular divide; they just don’t call it that. They call it the fact/value split: It’s the assumption that empirical facts are really the only form of truth or knowledge, and they are neutral or value free. Values are not really considered a form of truth any more. After all, they cannot be stuffed into a test tube, or studied under the microscope. So they have been reduced to something merely personal and private - literally whatever you value - your personal preferences. Now, this is not the way most religious people use the term “values.” When they talk about “defending Christian values,” they mean objective moral and religious truths.

So the central strategy in the secularist playbook is to deny that there can be such a thing as objective moral and religious truths. You might say if science is defined as “value free,” then values are defined as “fact-free” - they are no longer rooted in the objective world. This is the unquestioned assumption in the universities today, taught without discussion in college textbooks. Alan Bloom, who wrote the bestseller The Closing of the American Mind, put it this way: “Every school child knows that VALUES are relative. [They] are not based on facts but are mere individual subjective preferences.” Every school child “knows that because it is taught all through the public education system.

So what happens when you as a Christian seek to bring biblical values into the workplace? Everyone around

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you, with their secular education, responds as though that is not a legitimate thing to do - that you’re imposing your private, personal preferences. Imagine you present your view on some issue, no one will say “That’s just science, that’s just facts, don’t impose it on me.” Instead they will say “Those are just your values, don’t impose them on me.”

So the fact/value split functions as the intellectual gatekeeper - it determines which ideas are allowed in the public arena, and which are ruled out of bounds. Once that happens, then arguments on the detail level simply have no traction. In principle they do not belong at the table of public discourse.

Shortly before he died, the actor Christopher Reeve spoke at Yale University about embryonic stem cell research.

He said “When matters of public policy are debated, no religions should have a seat at the table.” Notice he did not bother to weigh whether particular religious viewpoints on the subject might be right or wrong - no, none of them should be allowed in the debate in the first place. Why not? Because private preferences should not be allowed to shape public policy.

It is a powerful means of excluding a Christian perspective in the public arena, whether in politics or in the business world.

Martinez: Why is the Protestant ethic good for business (cf.

Max Weber)? Is this ethic still being overtly affirmed today?

Henley: Even in today’s intensely charged atmosphere of

political correctness and litigation, there is pragmatic affirmation of Weber’s theory, developed in the early 20th century to explain the disparity between work and productivity between Europe’s Protestant and non-Protestant societies.

For example, Harvard researchers Robert Barro and Rachel McCleary had conducted studies on the relationship between belief and economic growth on 59 countries between 1981 and 1999. Their study concludes that “What really stimulates economic growth is whether you believe in an afterlife -- especially hell.”3 According to the authors, “Our central perspective is that religion affects economic outcomes mainly by fostering religious beliefs that influence individual traits such as honesty, work ethic, thrift and openness to strangers... For example, beliefs in heaven and hell might affect those traits by creating perceived rewards and punishments that relate to ‘good’ and ‘bad’ lifetime behavior.’’ 4

Another example comes from a truly surprising source. Avowed atheist Matthew Parris wrote a much-circulated op-ed piece entitled “As an atheist I truly believe Africa needs God” that appeared in the Times of London in January, 2009. Parris, raised in Malawi but left there as a young man, went back to the country he had known as Nyasaland after 45 years and visited a British charity which the Times promoted.

After observing the effectiveness of Christian charities, or NGOs, Parris said his experience: “refreshed another belief: one I’ve been trying to banish all my life … It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God….Now a

confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. … [and] only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it.”5

Martinez: Christianity is growing around the world, and many of us here are involved in multinational corporations.

How can we be more effective globally?

Pearcey: By recognizing the transforming power of the

Christian worldview. The problem is that many people in the global south now self-identify as Christians - but they are not living out a biblical worldview. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Africa was less than 10% Christian. Today it is 40-50%, and as high as 70-80% Christian in some countries.

Yet many of these societies are marked by poverty, disease, illiteracy, malnutrition, injustice, and violence.

What went wrong? The problem is that missionaries imported the same Genesis 3 version of Christianity - with its sacred/secular split - around the globe. What happens is that after worship on Sunday, people go home and live like pagans.

A businessman who accepts bribes becomes a Christian, but continues to accept bribes. A corrupt government worker becomes a Christian, but continues his corrupt practices. A husband who beats his wife (which is far too common in some societies) becomes a Christian, but continues to beat his wife.

Even pastors beat their wives.6

The solution is a Genesis 1 version of Christianity that says it’s not just about getting to heaven; it’s not just about an inspiring worship service; it is meant to give principles to guide you in your family, your work, the way you run your society - to solve issues of poverty, corruption, and injustice.

Here’s an example. In Guatemala, the Pokomchi Indians are farmers and they are among the poorest of the poor.

The traditional religions in the region are animistic - they teach that nature is filled with spirits that are much more powerful than you are, which creates a passive, fatalistic mindset.

People have the sense that if you’re poor, you will always be poor - there’s no use trying to better your life.

A generation ago, missionaries came and many Pokomchi accepted Christ. But they stayed poor. They knew they were saved, they were going to heaven, but they did not think being a Christian involved any special calling for THIS life.

They were converted in their religion but not in their worldview - they were still passive and fatalistic. When secular development organizations came in and built things like schools, latrines for sanitation, etc., the Pokomchi did not use any of the expensive projects that had been built. They had not changed their life practices, or their attitudes. They were still passive and fatalistic.

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Finally a young Peruvian pastor came to the Pokomchi in the early 1990s, and he began to teach a biblical worldview.

He taught that we are created in God’s image to be creative, and to exercise stewardship and dominion over THIS world, not just wait for the next world. A case in point is the Pokomchi did not have effective storage for their crops - it kept being eaten by rats. The pastor taught them that the biblical principle of stewardship empowers them to be active instead of passive over nature, that they are called to be creative because they were made in the image of the Creator. The farmers then developed a new method of grain storage. The food supply began to increase, and this was the beginning of their climb out of poverty. What they discovered is that a Christian worldview opens up a whole new perspective on life, that it allows you to live for God not just on Sunday but all through the week.

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Notes For more insights see Theodore Dalrymple, Our Culture, What’s Left of It: The Mandarins and the Masses (Ivan R. Dee, publishers, 2007.)

2 David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends (Pasadena, CA: WIlliam Carey Library, 2001), Table 1-1, p.3.

3 See http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/31/arts/faith-can-enrich-morethan-the-soul.html.

4 Barro, Robert J. & Rachel M. McCleary, “Religion And Economic Growth Across Countries,” American Sociological Review 5 (2003): 760.

5 See: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece.

6 Reports from the Disciple the Nations Alliance: http://www.disciplenations.org/ 1

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ECONOMIC worldviews

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The intellectual animus towards capitalism, both within and without Christendom, has led to a perspective subjugated to secular worldviews. It is time to change the dialogue to engage Christians realistically and productively on economic matters.

Introduction

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oday there are essentially two worldviews about the economy and they are centered on big government versus the market. Behind this crude division lies a host of supporting economic arguments, often ignored and rarely fully understood by those professing the faith of “government” or “market.” This crude division also leads to a rallying call to determine who is “liberal” and who is “conservative.” This is not just a political division, since Christians have become part of this argument, with a link that you either have to have a government or market point of view to be a true believer, thereby dividing Christians economically into a

left and right. There are two problems with this, one economic and the other theological.

The economic point can be made quickly and without further ado. The economic issue is that those who attack “big business” and “selfishness” are not attacking impersonal forces or out of reach individuals. They attack us all. If a company makes a loss, or a big settlement is forced through the law courts, those costs have to be met somewhere. Where do they get met? Price hikes, lower employee salary and wage rises, and, higher insurance premiums are all good places to start.

Meanwhile, those who attack government face underplaying the critical role government plays in the economic infrastructure and in international economic matters. When a government responds to what is popular they are often avoiding the

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unpopular but necessary economic decisions that need to be taken. We cannot have a successful economy so long as we attack business, and we cannot have a successful country so long as we have a government that only does what is popular. In a sense this government versus market is a false division, because the reality is that there is no such thing as a government or market economy. We all know our economy is mixed and is based on a rudimentary capitalism. The real debate is about where one tips the scales, toward government or towards business. As the Austrian Capitalist Ludwig von Mises argued, we should give capitalism a try.

Turning to the theological problem, this dichotomy leads some believers into thinking there is a Christian view of the market. The Christian “Right” highlights individual effort and responsibility, with fear of government using power to pursue a perfect state on earth. The Christian “Left” highlights collective effort and responsibility, fearing that big business uses power for individual ends and greed. The two sides use the Bible to proof text and shore up their secularized arguments. The Christian left says, “Blessed are the poor” and they suggest the “communism” of the early Christian community can be put forward as a Christian ideal. In fact, it is blessed are the poor in spirit, and the “communism” was a result of state oppression of Christianity. The Right say, “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” and remind us that “the poor you will always have.” Yet, we can only seek to be spiritually rich; our salvation is not tied to our economic status. We are also called to help the poor and offer charity. The Bible, as it is so often, is inconvenient for defending a secular worldview.

The fall of communism makes the notion of such a divide even more clearly false. The role of communism is important for it was a fundamental part of the dichotomy that existed for much of the 20th Century, namely that between

The market economy is what we have, and like much else in our world falls far short of the Christian ideal, but it does mediate different belief systems and different expressions of conflicting needs.

capitalism and communism. While there was communism it could be imagined there was an alternative possible economic world, even though somewhat belatedly many realized this was not such a desirable alternative. Communism was something those picking an ethical fight with capitalism could point to and argue there are alternatives, even if they did not like that alternative. With the end of communism, the new dichotomy is now portrayed as market economy versus socialistic thinking.

Yet the failure of communism, and the lack of an overarching economic alternative system, may just perhaps suggest the lack of any viable alternative.

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Thus, when we look at the economy now there is but one worldview, which is capitalism as brute economic fact, like gravity or aging. Within this there are shades on a spectrum defining the demarcation of government and private entities, with a major shift in recent years towards private/public partnerships. The market economy is what we have, and like much else in our world falls far short of the Christian ideal, but it does mediate different belief systems and different expressions of conflicting needs. We should not seek to rule the world, politically or economically, by the Gospel; to paraphrase Martin Luther, if you’re going to try and do this, then fill the world with real Christians first.

The Intellectual Theological Problem

In spite of the compelling evidence that capitalism works, and the alternative was punishing to the human spirit, there is still a yearning among intellectuals for a “nicer” way to do economics. There remains also a bias against business and capitalism, a residual sense that there is something immoral about it all.

I will return in a moment to why this is the case, but first let’s understand where the intellectual bias comes from.

The late Harvard philosopher Robert Nozick said intellectuals, both on the Left and Right, morally oppose Capitalism out of a fundamental animus because they are not rewarded in the market economy, having grown up in a middle class intellectual economy of reward at school and university, progressively earning candy bars, A grades and finally doctorates. They have won the intellectual competition as they grew up, but once in the capitalist economy they find they are not so competitive, so their sense of entitlement to the share of success is frustrated by business people and other successes in the market economy who seem to be over-compensated, especially since they are not “as clever” as intellectuals. Nozick suggests this animus leads them to oppose the market even when arguments are raised that demonstrate the validity of the market; they simply move the goalposts and argue a new point, he observes.

I agree with Nozick, and further suggest we can detect an animus among the theological intellectuals and church leadership. Theologians tend to approach the market economy seeking not to ask what really happens in the economy but to ask how matters can be better arranged. In this quest economic realism is passed over in favor of a prevalent suspicion towards commerce and the economy with an implicit moral objection. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall theologians have become a little more engaging in their approach to the market economy, but theological engagement with economic matters and the market remain lopsided. What we need is a more realistic basis on which to conduct conversations if the Christian community is not to remain either simply partisan or irrelevant to the discourse To return to why there is a sense that capitalism is immoral, we have to look at what it does and realize in economics there is no “nice” way to deal with scarcity. We compete for resources, and we do not all have the same values or agree on solutions to a problem. Human society is also about power, and the economy is a place to gain and express power. The

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Marxist idea is that capitalism is the cause of power abuse, selfishness and other human bad behaviors, and so the workers had to rebel and the capitalist machine destroyed. This is to look down the wrong end of the gun barrel.

Capitalism reflects who we are. It measures what we truly care about and it measures our position and power in society, reflecting who we truly are. If we don’t like the reflection, smashing the mirror is not going to make us look any prettier. Apart from attacking big business, there are regular condemnations of consumerism and what is seen as excess of the market economy, all of which puts the market economy in the dock.

The materialist philosophies of Marxist, Communist, Welfarist and Socialistic worldviews are very much at odds with Christianity, which teaches us that human beings are fallen in nature. The ills of capitalism and consumerism that are read off like an incantation by critics are just another chapter in the book of who’s been naughty and who’s been nice.

In fact, the notion that the economic system makes us greedy consumers lends itself more to socialist ideology than it does to Christianity. This is because the welfarist views, as we can collectively call them, teach abdication of individual responsibility, whereby the problems in our lives or our community can somehow be solved by passing them on to the state, while we can sit back and enjoy our life and wealth. We don’t need to care for extended family, we can get the state to care for them.

We don’t need to worry about the neighborhood, we can move on and the state will take care of it all.

While the debate raged in the 20th century over the morality of the economic system, liberal theologians and church leaders sided against capitalism. This is hardly surprising, because in the 1960s theologians, who had been busy killing off God and giving enhanced confidence to the secular Leftist critique of religion, were politically motivated. This was the era of political and liberation theologies.

The new religion of secular salvation took off, as people sought to build a better world. In the words of C.S. Lewis, theologians put God in the dock. They accused God, and wanted to redeem humanity. However, the destruction of the hopeful aspirations of the radicalized 1960s idealism and of Communism has restructured the old lines of leftist demarcation, which have now regenerated along fault lines of poverty, environmentalism, anti-globalization and anti-market. The market economy has a range of interest groups and opponents, secular and Christian, holding hands and teamed up against capitalism. However, as I tell students, holding hands and singing Kumbaya does not create economic solutions, it simply makes middle class people feel much better about themselves.

Three Practical Ways to Change the Conversation

The economic woes of our time are many and complex, but wishful thinking does not help us to tackle the real problems of wealth and poverty in our modern world, and this article is offered as a call to engage realistically. To engage realistically,

and for Christians to have a productive say on economic matters, I propose three ways in which we can seek to change the conversation. My aim here is not to offer a Christian economy, rather to help Christians to live better in the real economy.

1. Promote informed discussion in the church and workplace

People in business need to do a better job of explaining what they do and why they do it. Bible classes and discussion groups in church are a good place to discuss the relationship between faith and the economy. The economy is a tool used for political, social and other ends. It also reflects what we find important. It tells us about scarcity and wealth. It tells us a lot about ourselves, and highlights the gap between the demands of discipleship and the everyday realities of work and business. This will always be a struggle, and so we should embrace it together and try to learn from each other about economic realities and what role we each play in the economy.

Being a responsible investor, a good business manager, a caring supervisor, a hard worker - these are all vocations in the economy. A productive economy is one that can solve problems based on wealth, and we all play a part in this wealth creation. At the same time, we recognize that because of our fallen nature we will always have the poor, but rich or poor is not what defines our road to salvation, rather how we act in the economy, as in all parts of life, is a reflection of our discipleship.

2. Review our approach to stewardship

Humanity has struggled with scarcity, wealth and inequality since the dawn of the ages, but interestingly what capitalism does is put a number, a measurement, on this struggle. If we are willing to pay $200 for an NFL ticket or $2000 on a holiday, but only put $20 in the collection plate of our church, then I suggest this puts a number on our interest; or, to put it crassly, we are putting our money where our mouth is. If we speculate with our savings, flipping houses or increasing our consumer credit, how effective is our stewardship? Loans to spend on things that end up in the garbage for lack of use are unproductive loans. They may make us feel better for a little while, but has the loan added anything to our life? Our stewardship of money and loans means making good use of our resources with one eye on the future. Loans can be effectively used as leverage, but consumer loans generally have little leverage.

Stewardship is not just a moral question, it is a question of practical economic realities, and there is a balance between our spiritual and financial balance sheets; so go ahead and draw up yours, what does it look like?

3. Recognize the difference between policy options and faith

Church leaders need to understand the difference between policy options and faith. We can share a faith concern over poverty, but there is not a Christian policy to solve the problem. Liberals, conservatives, capitalists and welfarists can

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agree that poverty is a problem, because where they differ is in what policy option will best solve the problem, knowing that grand schemes are all too often defective because they rely on the will and power of humanity and its sinful nature.

A market solution will approach this in one way, a welfarist approach it in another. Both proponents can be good people of faith, so let’s recognize the difference and negotiate the solution accordingly. The problem with our current economic and political discourse is that it is divisive, and progressive change is forced through by powerful liberalizing forces rather than as an outcome of engaging dialogue.

Conclusion: Sharing the Guilt

It’s easy to point the finger at the Wall Street bankers and blame them for the market chaos of recent years, but do we not all share the guilt? The economy is very good at rewarding, and very good at punishing. The thing is, we don’t hear anyone complaining when they are offered good deals or the value of their property rockets. No one is pointing fingers then. Once the economic laws of gravity kick in, and what goes up in price falls, then the blame game kicks in big time. The fact the markets over-heated was obvious for some time before 2008.

What we can see is how badly banks had been managing their business and how exposed they were to the property market.

The economy punished them big time. However, individuals did the same and need to reflect on their own exposure, and their own motives and behaviors in the market.

The market economy is what we have, and like much else in our world falls short of the Christian ideal, but it does mediate different belief systems and different expressions of needs. In short, the worldview that condemns the excesses of capitalism needs to be heavily qualified, both in terms of what they set up as alternative idols, and in terms of the implications for the utility of the market economy. Defenders of capitalism likewise must recognize that happiness is temporal and others do need help. Both sides need to recognize their economic or political worldview does not bring them salvation.

If greed and selfishness are the bases of our behavior, this is expressed in many ways, not just in the economic arena.

The idols of welfarism and capitalism are idols that stand in the way of relationship with God. It is easy to create rivals to God. For different people this will entail different idols: designer brands, celebrity status, protest, academic recognition and a host of other powerful motives. To project that onto the market economy is, for me, again looking down the wrong end of the gun barrel. What the economy does so well is to show us a mirror of our society. It’s not the economy, stupid; it’s the people in the economy, stupid!

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About the Author David Cowan is Visiting Scholar at the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, Boston College, and an advisor to Weber Shandwick, part of the global Communications agency IPG. Author of Economic Parables (IVP, 2007) and Strategic Internal Communications (Kogan Page, 2014), Cowan writes and consults on internal communications and organizational change management.

He previously worked in leadership communications positions at the World Bank, Clearstream International and ArcelorMittal, and as a journalist for the financial and business media, including the Financial Times, The Times, The Middle East and Euromoney. Cowan holds an M.Litt. and Ph.D. (jointly in the School of Divinity and the School of International Relations) from the University of St. Andrews, a B.Th. and M.Th. from the University of Oxford, and a Diploma in Theology from Westfield House, Cambridge, where he was Lutheran chaplain to the University of Cambridge.

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Abstract It was Elijah who criticized the prophets of Baal for trying to harbor two competing identities: “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21, RSV). In our modern workplace, this criticism remains valid. To harbor multiple worldviews is to try to live under different identities and navigate multiple, and often contradictory, aims. This paper gives critical scrutiny to what it means to adhere to our faith in a working capacity, lest we be subject to perversions that may occur in this arrangement. One particularly pervasive worldview is the belief that one’s work life, vocation, job, labor, etc. is separate from the spiritual essence, worship, ministry, and cultivation as a disciple. We refer to this partitioning of identities as the work-worship divide. Four divides serve as a threat to authentic faith expression in the modern business environment: the (1) work not worship divide, (2) work then worship divide, (3) work or worship divide, and (4) work and worship divide. We conclude with what we deem to be a more faithful narrative: work as worship.

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The Work Challenge

About the Authors

D

avid Kinnaman, President of the Barna Group, has given recent attention to several cultural trends for today’s church and society. Among other things, his research attends to our modern perceptions of work, and what he has found is not encouraging.

Looking specifically at youth and young adults (1829), Kinnaman has found a discernible disconnect between one’s vocational desire and their faith identity. In his recent book, You Lost Me, he writes: “Millions of Christ-following teens and young adults are interested in serving in mainstream professions […] Yet most receive little guidance from their church communities for how to connect these vocational dreams deeply with their faith in Christ.”1 As a result, many Christians fail to link their career choices with a posture of Christian faithfulness. Kinnaman writes, “their faith and work decisions are bifurcated, rather than holistically entwined.”2 This issue is not limited to youth and young adults.

Christians of all ages often display a similar fragmentation in their lives. Moreover, according to the Barna Group, nearly two-thirds of churched adults say it has been at least three years or more since they heard teaching related to their work or their career, risking the continued separation of faith and work identities.3 What, we might ask, is morally objectionable about this bifurcation? For many, the faith life is a collection of given activities associated with the faith. Similarly, one’s work life is another collection of activities associated with work. Stated in these terms, the gap between the two seems innocuous. However, the locus of the problem relates less to activity, but rather, to identity. Indeed, we might say that each sphere is conceptualized within a particular worldview. The worldviews we adopt in our various activities are not only distinct from, but often hostile to, identities associated with our faith lives.

The capacity for competing identities requires attention. Yet, this problem is not new. It was Elijah who criticized the prophets of Baal for trying to harbor two competing identities: “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him” (I Kings 18:21). Our aim in this paper is to introduce what we refer to as common work-worship divides, followed by the consideration of an alternative approach: work as worship.

Our hope is that this posture will transform how Christians approach their work lives and provide them with a more faithful perspective of how their faith identity connects, and even redefines, other spheres of life.

Work-Worship Divides

For the purposes of this paper, worship is defined as our primary identity as followers of Jesus Christ leading to our commitment to “love God and to love others.” It is our faith life; our spiritual existence. Worship is not limited to what we do on Sunday or as part of a church service. Worship refers to embodying the essence of our faith. Moreover, worship, in this

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Kevin Brown is an Assistant Professor of Business at the Howard Dayton School of Business at Asbury University. Dr. Brown, originally from Louisville, Kentucky, has taught business for the last five years. Prior to that, he worked for nearly a decade at Wells Fargo Bank, spending the last four years there as a bank president. Brown’s formal education includes an undergraduate degree and an MBA from the University of Indianapolis along with two degrees from institutions in Scotland—a Masters of Letters from St. Andrews University in Theology and a Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow in Economics and Ethics.

Mike Wiese is Professor of Marketing at the Falls School of Business at Anderson University. Dr. Wiese shares an enthusiasm for teaching and a love for marketing in his classroom. Having practical management and marketing experience in the grocery business, Dr. Wiese earned his MBA degree from Oral Roberts University and a Ph.D. in higher education with an emphasis in marketing from Loyola University of Chicago. His research interest has resulted in numerous publications, and he is active in applied marketing research, strategic planning activities, and consulting projects with a focus on marketing in higher education and church-related marketing. Mike Wiese has been at Anderson University since 1990. sense, should infiltrate the various aspects of our lives—work included.

Yet, in reality many Christians are divided between work and worship. For consideration and discussion, we offer four possible misconceptions about the relationship between our faith life and our work life. We suggest here that each of the four can result in a “divide” that undermines our wholeness as Christians. These divides are stated as follows: (1) work not worship; (2) work then worship; (3) work or worship; (4) work and worship. Given the scope of the paper, these divides are not exhaustive. However, we offer below some of

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their common attributes and how they threaten to separate our faith identity from our work identity.

Work not Worship

The first divide, work not worship, is when our Sunday-self is different from our Monday-self. “I’ve been sinning all week,” a worship leader once announced to a perplexed congregation, “but this morning I am here to worship!” We may find such a statement strange coming from a worship leader, but is it any less odd when it comes from a person in business? One author describes this disconnect well: “‘He’s really a very serious Christian,’ someone once told me about a very high-profile businessman in Nashville, ‘but you just wouldn’t know it by the way he practices business.’” They conclude: “The disjunction between the ‘church’ and the ‘secular’ continues to reign in much Christian practice.”4 In addition to the belief that our faith identity is fundamentally separate from our work identity, this false paradigm assumes that our faith has no bearing on our work identity whatsoever. In other words, we can literally be two, or more, different people, and navigate in and out of these identities as we go about our lives.

Among other problems, this assumes that expressions of faith are merely things we do (without consideration to who we are).

Under this conception, categories of work and faith are not so much like mixing paints that bleed together to form a new color, but rather, they are better understood as a series of silos: freestanding with each possessing its own content and independent of other silos. Some have referred to this as the problem of privatization, where one’s personal identity has little to no bearing on their public identity. However we might describe it, this divide risks adopting a form of incoherence in one’s personhood that can be difficult to navigate.

Work then Worship

Another common mistake is the work then worship divide.

Here, we may desire to exercise our Christianity in other areas of our life (i.e., our jobs), but our faith plays “second fiddle” to specific job characteristics and priorities. Unfortunately, under this paradigm our faith merely fills in the blanks of our otherwise regular work lives. In the workplace, Christians may appropriately offer values such as honesty, a good attitude, and a solid work ethic to the worldly structures they encounter without questioning the very nature of the social practices inherent in those structures.

Even worse, many under this divide believe that their faith is some kind of cosmic “good-luck” charm that will assist them in success. This dismisses the reality that being faithful may very well be accompanied by hardship, heartache, and marginalization. If faithfulness is a recipe for receiving blessings (as some preach today), then we risk making Jesus a formula, not a life-transforming savior. This, however, is far from worship. As A.W. Tozer once pointed out, “The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they are true.”5 One’s faith identity should redefine, redeem, and restore a person. It should transform who we are inside out, leading to changes in the way we think and act. However, under this divide, and the impoverished conceptions of God it tends to breed, our faith is tempered by alternate pursuits and desires.

Work or Worship

Another perversion of the work-worship divide occurs when we completely divorce work and worship from each other (leading us to an artificial choice between one or the other).

If the work then worship paradigm risked understanding the

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faith life as playing handmaiden to our primary work identity, this misconception risks separating the two from one another.

In this case, one might be a Christian, but they have a critical decision to make: do they take the Christian route and go into ministry, or do they take the non-Christian route and go into a secular work field? This either/or ultimatum understands the former as holy and hallowed vocational work, with the latter being worldly and secular.

To provide an example, an interviewing manager in an educational ministry once met with a very successful middleaged financial consultant who was considering a “jump into ministry” from his finance job. “I suppose the question is,” he pondered out loud, “whether I want my job to allow me to support those who are in ministry, or whether I want my job to be my ministry.” We do not necessarily find his reasoning to be odd. Rather, it clearly articulates a common question among Christians in the workforce. However, we challenge the notion that one field is considered ministry, and one is not, an implicit assumption embedded in his statement. In other words, this implies that there is one route to worship God as it relates to our professional lives and careers.

Work and Worship

Ironically, we can divide our work and worship by attempting to illegitimately marry our faith and work lives so that they more closely cohere. This divide, work and worship, risks over-spiritualizing all work-related activity. The good, the bad, and the ugly are justified as “God’s intervening hand” and strategic decisions are euphemized as God’s will. Three notable problems emerge from this. First, invoking God’s name for an organizational decision makes disagreement rather difficult.

If a manager or co-worker remarks that “God” has ordained a particular strategy or direction, then challenging the merits of this strategy becomes an uncomfortable exercise since you might find yourself disagreeing, not with a fellow co-worker, but supposedly with the creator of the universe!

Second, the inappropriate blending of work and worship leaves little room for the mundane and the ordinary. It is important to relish and celebrate our mountain-top spiritual moments, but, like Jesus himself, we must come down from the mountain (Matthew 17:9). Living out our faith often involves doing what is sub-optimal or inconvenient. Further, it can involve heartache or a lack of gratification or fulfillment.

In reality, much of our lives are lived in the valley, and we must learn what it means to be faithful in those places.

Finally, this paradigm can naturally lead to exhaustion.

Our faith life should energize us, not make us weary. However, this is precisely what we risk if we believe that our work life and our spiritual lives are two separate spheres that we must give ourselves to entirely.

A Faithful Narrative: Work as Worship

In light of the aforementioned work-worship divides, we invite the reader to consider conceiving of their work activity as a

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form of worship itself: work as worship. More specifically, we present this paradigm as the 4 C’s of work as worship. The C’s are as follows: Co-Creation, Catalyst, Contribution, and Community. Each represents faithful activity, that is to say, our worship, in a work context.

Co-Creation

To introduce the first “C”, we can begin with an important philosophical question that was asked centuries ago. It was the philosopher Hegel who inquired as to why a perfect God would need to create an earth and a people to inhabit that earth. If God is perfect, why does He need others? While this evoked an array of answers, it can be responsibly suggested that in asserting that God created the world, it doesn’t tell us what He needs so much as it tells us who He is. More specifically, we see that God creates (and He relates to that creation).

Furthermore, as image-bearers of a creative and relational God, as we create, produce, and act within the world, we are participating in this activity with God. We are demonstrating this same attribute (co-creating with God). Thus, our work activity, itself, suggests that there is not only output in our labor (what we produce), but there is an essence to our labor; an intrinsic value. To illustrate, consider this familiar story: In the days of misty towers, distressed maidens, and stalwart knights, a young man, walking down a road, came upon a laborer fiercely pounding away at a stone with hammer and chisel. The lad asked the worker, who looked frustrated and angry, “What are you doing?” The laborer answered in a pained voice: “I’m trying to shape this stone, and it is backbreaking work.” The youth continued his journey and soon came upon another man chipping away at a similar stone, who looked neither particularly angry nor happy. “What are you doing?” he asked. “I’m shaping a stone for a building.” The young man went on and before long came to a third worker chipping away at a stone, but this worker was singing happily as he worked. “What are you doing?” The worker smiled and replied: “I’m building a cathedral.”6

Many are likely to resonate with the feeling that their work consists in little more than “shaping stones.” In this sense, our productive activity, even if mundane or unpleasant, is often appropriately viewed as a means to an end. One’s labor provides a wage, which in turn gives us an opportunity for shelter, food, and clothing. Further, our wage allows us to satisfy our preferences in the marketplace (purchasing a good book, funding a vacation, etc.). While this is all true, this framework risks making “work” only something that we do, yet disconnected from who we are.

We may appropriately contrast this with the conception of our work activity as a creative statement; an expression.

Here, productive activity moves beyond producing, working, and laboring as a mere means to live. Rather, our daily life (identity, creativity, personhood) has the capacity to be bound

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up in making our work an act of devotion to God, participating with Him in creative and productive activity.

Catalyst

In addition to being co-creators with God, we can utilize the gifts that God has provided us in a way that is glorifying to the gift-giver. Gifts, however, are inert if they are not employed, what John Wesley referred to as “blowing up the coals into a flame.”7 Thus, as humans and image-bearers of God, we exist as the catalyst for our gifts and their ultimate employment. In this sense, we are stewards.

Oxford economist and Christian, Donald Hay, has suggested that creation gave us three primary elements: man is personal, man is a steward of creation, and man exercises his stewardship through work. Here, Hay reminds us that our gifts have a purpose. Yes, we are to enjoy them and employ them, but ultimately they are resources we are to steward. In biblical terms, to be a steward (oikonomos) is to be a manager, not an owner. And what is being managed? The resources that God has put in our care.

Stewardship is manifest in our work activity. For example, in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), each person is given a great sum of money that they are to steward. The servants receiving five talents and two talents put the money to work; they activated their gift, and thus rightfully received praise from their master upon his return.

The servant receiving just one talent, however, buried his in the ground.

The master condemns him, takes away the talent, and banishes him to the outer darkness: “And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (v.

30).

Upon reading this story, many conclude that the master was a shrewd and heartless businessman upset that the “lazy” servant did not make him more money.

To read the passage this way, however, would be to miss an important point: the resource put under the stewardship of the third servant was squandered. There is an etymological connection between the biblical idea of talent (which was a sum of money) and our idea of talent today (natural giftedness).

Being a good steward does not mean hoarding and protecting our resources; it means putting them to use in an appropriate way. Hay reminds us that “each person is accountable to God for his stewardship.”8 Or, as New Testament scholar Ben Witherington writes, “There are few things as frustrating to God as wasted abilities.”9 Moreover, being a faithful steward means using the gifts and resources under your care for others. The Bible makes clear that the purpose of our gifts is to serve others: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (I Peter 4:10). Furthermore, serving others is not to be disconnected from serving the “master”: God—our original gift giver; the owner of our resources.

Thus, the faithful way to serve as a catalyst of our skills and talents is to activate these attributes through work, use them in ways that assist others and ultimately glorify the

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creator, and to do this out of a sense of reverence, hope, and anticipation.

Contribution

While co-creating with God and being a catalyst of the skills he has endowed us with relate to the essence of our work, we do not wish to dismiss the fact that work also serves a very practical function: production. Work is not just about a state of being; it is also about a state of doing. In business parlance, our work makes a contribution.

Work activity addresses one of the most pressing, pervasive, and ubiquitous problems in modern society: scarcity.

Scarcity, or the idea of finite resources in a world of infinite desires, creates considerable problems related to justice (who deserves what), production decisions (how do we trade-off the use our resources), and social maladies (conflict, poverty, corruption, etc.).

Scarcity, in some way, shape, or form, will always be present in nearly any environment we find ourselves in. There is a force, however, that can serve to minimize its effect: Growth.

In other words, our work activity can make a contribution to growth and development in a way that fends off the threat of scarcity. Scarcity is the problem of not having enough; production is the solution of creating more. Proverbs 14:4 describes this simple philosophy well: “Where there are no oxen, there is no grain; abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.” In other words, when we work, we produce, and our needs are satisfied. Or as “The Message” translation puts it, “No cattle, no crops.” No activity, no output.

Moreover, we can conceive of our activity to achieve growth in a faithful way. If scarcity is a matter of finite resources, then we can also shift our understanding of abundance and “enough.” In other words, as I adjust my appetite, the problem of scarcity becomes less acute. Further, we can recognize that material development is different from moral development (what good is our abundance if it has little effect on our character?). Finally, we can redeem productive work that is being done which mirrors God’s themes. To steward the environment, help a child learn to share, assist the poor and elderly, or create a device that brings clean drinking water to a third-world village is to make an important contribution. To redeem these acts as God-created and God-sponsored themes is to redefine, altogether, how we conceive of the very notion of contribution. This, we submit, is an act of worship.

Community

Finally, our work lives can serve to cultivate community, which can be a robust expression of worship. John Wesley provided a cogent expression of the relational link between all mankind: “With an honest openness of mind, let us always remember the kindred between man and man, and cultivate that happy instinct whereby, in the original constitution of our nature, God has strongly bound us to each other.”10

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In other words, being relational is not something we simply choose, nor is it merely a personality trait. Rather, it is our blueprint; it’s in our DNA. If we are relationally constituted, as Wesley suggests, what are the implications for our work lives?

Work, particularly in an organization, can be appropriately characterized as having a communal expression. Any institution, whether a general organization, a corporation, a department, a school, etc., requires that the individuals working for that group partner together in order to achieve common ends. Thus, community, partnerships, and collaboration are all a natural overflow in the work settings we find ourselves in today.

With this in mind, we can define community in the workplace as bonding between co-workers where relationships, shared meanings, and a sense of common good is cultivated from a diversity of backgrounds. Community, in this sense, is shared space accompanied by inclusion and membership. When we commune and when we relate, we not only live out our relational nature, but we reflect our relational creator.

As image-bearers of a relational God, we are living out His essence.

Living Holy and Whole

To address the problems created under the aforementioned work-worship divides, we have provided an alternate paradigm: work as worship. To support this, we offered 4 C’s that comprise this paradigm: co-creating with God, being a catalyst for God’s work through our gifts, making a lasting and faithful contribution in the environments that we work within, and finally, engendering community.

We believe that to be holy is to be consistent and whole in all aspects of our lives, and this includes our work lives. To live otherwise is to live divided. However, wholeness is not as easy as we may think. Here, we offer two primary reasons as to why.

First, we live in a world with an array of voices competing for our attention. More to the point, we live in a society where voices, captions, lyrics, slogans, and websites constantly wave their proverbial arms to get our attention and tell us who we are (or who we should be). Just as we would sink in the middle of the ocean if we did not kick our legs and move our arms, we will sink in a sea of impressions (voices, words, images) if we aren’t deliberate about cultivating our identity in Christ and operating out of that identity alone.

Secondly, and more pressing, we are not blank slates upon which a personality, character trait, or attitude can be hard-wired into us. If the wind blows in the direction of multiple identities and a divided self, then sin is the sail tied to our backs that catches an opposing, stiff wind.

Sin not only prohibits our capacity to act appropriately, but distorts our ability to define what is appropriate in the first place. When this disposition is coupled with living in an environment of competing and ulterior identities, then living whole seems a near impossible task. It is appropriate, therefore, to remind ourselves of Jesus’ words in Mathew

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19: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (v. 26). Not only has God justified mankind through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, but He has restored our capacity to love and worship God, serve our neighbor, and live a whole and consistent life.

Herein lies the answer to wholeness. Changing our mind, paradigm, attitude, etc. by conceiving of our work as a form of worship can free people of faith to conceive of their labor activity, whatever field it may be in, as a worshipful activity. However, the key to this is not just changing the mind, it is living within the fullness of the Creator.

The full presence of God may be the key to a holy life, but it is equally part and parcel of a whole life. Among other points that can be made, we here wish to remark that being whole does not divorce our identities in an inappropriate way.

It does not separate our faith life from other important aspects of our life. It recognizes that everything we think, say, and do can be an act of worship. Being whole is not the absence of sin, pain, or vice; it is the full presence of God. Moreover, this presence crowds-out space for other allegiances, and reveals and reflects a life that displays a unified, constant, and consistent act of worship.

Conclusion

In light of this, we recognize that it is inappropriate to divorce our faith identity (worship) from other realms of life (work, family, hobbies, etc.). Indeed, we recognize that our faith identity, our ministry, and our worship, both precede and supersede other identities, realms of life, and activity, and ultimately redefines them altogether. Under this paradigm, what we do is a function of who we are.

In the work-worship divide paradigm, it is just the opposite: who we are is more a function of what we do. This latter paradigm, as we have pointed out, risks taking the world as it is, at face value. It flirts with participating in the forces, structures, and cultural conventions that tell us what to do, how to believe, who we are, and why we exist. Under this paradigm, humans are passive agents who receive inputs that ultimately serve to define us. Yet, this passive posture only serves to distort the reality we hope to envisage. For the Christian, this is a false narrative.

Alternatively, we have argued for a conception that invites the fullness of God and the wholeness consistent with that fullness. This paradigm understands all activity as an act of worship, including our work. Moreover, we have suggested that work and worship should not be divided, nor should it be inappropriately married. Rather, we begin with our faith identity, and then see, understand, and act upon the world based upon that identity.

Christians are equipped to view, process, and act upon a world in a faithful way. In addition to “taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5), faithful activity is “Salt and Light” so as to “honor and glorify the Lord” (Mathew 5:16). Our identity as a Christian, cultivated and refined through the faith community, is our lens by which to perceive and engage the world around us, and this includes the workplace.

Notes 1 David Kinnaman and Aly Hawkins, You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church-- and Rethinking Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2011) p. 29.

2 Ibid., p. 144.

3 “Three Trends on Faith, Work and Calling.” Barna Group: Knowledge to Navigate a Changing World. Barna Group, 2014. Accessed May 2014: https://www. barna.org/barna-update/culture/649-three-major-faith-and-culture-trendsfor-2014#.U3DKwNzD-po.

4 Lee C. Camp, Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2003) p. 181.

5 A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy: The Attributes of God, Their Meaning in the Christian Life (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1978), p. 4.

6 Dumaine, Brian. “Why Do We Work? Sure, It’s for the Money. But More and More People, Realizing That’s Not All There Is to Life, Are Embarking on a New Search for Meaning in Corporate America.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 26 Dec. 1994. Web. Jan. 2013.

7 “2 Timothy 1 Wesley’s Notes on the Bible.” Biblecommentor.com, Accessed 2013, http://wes.biblecommenter.com/2_timothy/1.htm.

8 Donald Hay, Economics Today: A Christian Critique (Leicester: Apollos Books, 1989).

9 Witherington, Ben. The Gospel of Mark: A Sociohistorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmas, 2001, p. 352.

10 Wesley, Notes, 10:37.

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Abstract Small compromises in ethical situations set in motion forces that could lead to drastic transformation of an otherwise biblical worldview. Theories related to chaos in dynamic systems, cognitive dissonance, and social identity shed light on the dangerous consequences of moral compromises. Reliance on critical analysis, intentional study of Scripture, and a community of like-minded Christian colleagues could be ways to protect and strengthen a biblical worldview. This essay offers insights to enable business professionals to excel in ethically challenging environments while maintaining integrity and Christian witness as they face the explosive growth in global business and the resulting clash of worldviews and values.

A

tech company is in competition for market share, and slowly losing. The CEO comes up with a plan to capture the market by selling their product far below the cost of its main competitor and at a price below what it takes to manufacture it. The CEO plans to tap into reserves and use some creative accounting to cover the losses. The new prices will be extremely low compared to the competitor’s prices and when the competitor begins to lose market share and feel economic pressure, the CEO will begin recruiting key employees from them by offering salaries that are substantially higher, even above the average in the CEO’s own company. His plan is to buy the competitor’s company and use the newly hired employees from his competitor as trainers for bringing his company’s employees up to speed on the former competitor’s technical processes.

After a year, the CEO plans to release the new employees, as well as any others from the company he has purchased in a downsizing maneuver. As a senior manager at the company, Xander will play a prominent role in this and the CEO assures him that he will reward him well once the dust settles. Xander listens and begins to feel very uneasy about the plan and its impact on people. To Xander the whole plan stinks of deception, injustice and manipulation. He raised some of these concerns with the CEO but the CEO explained that to his understanding none of this is illegal; this is just playing hardball business.

B

ehind the decisions in the scenario above reside a number of values that reflect a secular worldview. As followers of Jesus, professing to adhere to a biblical worldview, how would we feel about working at this CEO’s company? Would any of his decisions raise red flags to us?

Unfortunately, situations like this are far too common in the highly competitive world of business. Those who seek to adhere to a biblical worldview are often confronted with policies or decisions that seem to demand a compromise of their values. When confronted with drastic, egregious ethical challenges, the probability of capitulation is low.

Many, however, would have no problem with small, seemingly harmless compromises. In reality, by making small compromises the believer could slowly drift away from a pre-

dominately biblical worldview into a predominately secular worldview where more serious compromises may become common. Even a partial adoption of a secular mindset may begin a process that could ultimately be destructive professionally and spiritually.

When confronted with the myriad of problems en-

By making small compromises the believer could slowly drift away from a predominately biblical worldview into a predominately secular worldview where more serious compromises may become common.

countered daily in business, there is temptation to take the standard route followed by the greater business world.1 Approaching business like a game that states you can do anything you want as long as you don’t break the rules (too often interpreted merely as not breaking the law) is tempting, but is it ethical from a biblical worldview?2

Biblical vs. Secular Worldviews

What constitutes a biblical or a secular worldview? Barna’s definition of a biblical worldview includes commitment to these: absolute truth; the Bible being fully accurate in all the principles it teaches; the reality of Satan; salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; Jesus having lived a sinless life on earth; and God being an all-powerful creator of the world and ruling the universe today.3 When looking at servant leadership from a biblical worldview, a number of broad categories can be identified: justice, proper use of power, stewardship, respect for human dignity, compassion, character, personal responsibility, and care for the marginalized or weak.4 Pearcey echoes Schaeffer by emphasizing how a biblical worldview involves perceiving the world through the lens of biblical teaching as it pertains to every aspect of life - art, business, science, anthropology or any other related field of study.5 This coherence in every aspect of life, including thoughts and values, has been referred to as holism and creates stability and resilience.6 The more we practice our worldview in daily choices, at every level, the more ingrained and stable our worldview becomes and the more it is resistant to change. Ultimately, recognizing that morality has been defined by God, every aspect of life comes under the scrutiny of the biblical ethic. There can be no part of life or thought that is compartmentalized in order to justify the violation of biblical standards.

Does this mean there exists somewhere a list of rules that apply to every choice we make? While there are some clear cut laws that should not be broken, such as federal and state civil and criminal laws governing business, a biblical ethic is

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built upon principles revealed in Scripture that reflect God’s original intent for how people should live in the world.

For example, in Scripture people are seen as an end, not a means. People are not objects to be used and thrown away nor are they resources to be exploited. The biblical demand for care for the marginalized and weak sits in contrast to the worldly demand for profit above all other concerns.

Scriptural teaching on character requires doing what is right even if we suffer loss as a result. This sits in contrast to the worldly utilitarian approach that says doing wrong is okay if the outcome is good for us or good for the majority.

Adherence to a biblical worldview requires sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as we seek to address complex, often contradictory choices, discerning God’s perspective. Since it is based upon absolute truth, it is portable, adaptable to any culture or environment and able to provide a perspective for evaluating moral or immoral behavior.7 Within the secular system, business is most often defined materialistically, mere economic activity that promotes self-interest.8 Ethics and morality seem to stand in opposition to business goals and their value is determined purely by their contribution to the bottom line.9 In this secular worldview there is no god (other than profit), no afterlife, and no absolute truth since these are not verifiable using the scientific method.

This is a fragmented view of the world that compartmentalizes such values as religion, morality, beauty, free will, and even human dignity into the realm of relative speculation.10 Values are socially or individually constructed. Deciding what is good is generally based upon utilitarianism or pragmatism; what is best for me or for the group, or what causes the least harm while providing the greatest benefit. None of these are linked to any sense of absolute truth and thus their different expressions across cultures are not subject to comparison since each culture is viewed as its own self-verifying system.

In essence, when this relative approach is fully lived out, nearly anything goes, giving the feel of moral anarchy.11 When we embrace this relativistic approach and encounter radically different definitions of morality from other cultures, we have no means to evaluate whether the encounter is immoral or merely different, or what can be easily integrated in doing business in that culture and what should be avoided. An example of how this relative approach to ethics is problematic is illustrated by the struggle the United Nations has with cultural diversity and human rights.12 How then would embracing even a small part of the secular worldview affect one who seeks to follow a biblical worldview?

It’s Just a Small Compromise

If you’ve watched the movie Jurassic Park, you might recall a reference to a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil and later causing a hurricane in Florida. This was referring to a discovery made by Edward Lorenz while studying chaotic systems.13 Small errors in an unstable state become large errors over time.14 In these systems errors grow exponentially with each iteration.15

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The Butterfly Effect

A butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil and causing a hurricane in Florida a long time later speaks to how small changes in a dynamic system creates conditions that may lead to drastic results. The small change affects other aspects of the system; they combine, multiply until the system itself is altered. Our lives are an ongoing demonstration of this principle. A small choice such as deciding to visit a small village while traveling and talking to a villager who shares a novel insight that causes you to think of life and its purpose in different way is initially forgotten. Over the years the idea periodically returns and begins to influence you, eventually changing your perception until you begin to see the world in ways others do not. Others come into contact with this idea and we join with them. In time the obscure idea ends up altering history itself. Such was the nature of the birth of Christianity.

Cognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonance theory states that when we do something that violates our own values, we feel dissonance or personal discomfort, often to the degree that we must bring about resolution.18 We enter a time of self-justification, or we alter our original moral position to be more in line with the new moral activity or belief.19 This effect is so powerful that merely having a person read a speech that presents a position totally opposed to what he actually believes morally, could lead the person to soften or change his belief.20 If you are a committed Christian and have done something that broke one of your central values and then felt uncomfortable, then you have experienced cognitive dissonance. You see yourself as a good person and this action clashes with that view.

How we choose to resolve this dissonance reveals a great deal about our spiritual maturity and character. It can be an opportunity for growth or it can be a descent into self-justification and further moral compromise. Growth requires altering behavior to conform to beliefs. Descent into negative traits involves changing our beliefs to match our actions.

Granted, Lorenz was examining natural laws in relation to material systems, not the mushy, unpredictable world where humans can make irrational decisions. However, chaos theory has gained acceptance and use within the social sciences precisely because there are chaotic patterns of human behavior that need explanation. This effect has been examined from the perspective of business in relation to the secular ethic of selfpreservation, as well as within the field of marketing.16 In terms of worldview, when we adopt an idea or practice from a secular worldview, we set in motion mental

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forces that affect our Christian character. In essence, because we have acted contrary to our biblical worldview we have created instability or a level of chaos in our moral system. The more often we use ideas or practices that are contradictory to our worldview, the more instability increases. This manifests itself as inner tension or disappointment that we have not acted in accordance with our values. This inner tension of contrary values is called cognitive dissonance17 (see box Chaos and Dissonance).

When a person’s sense of morality is primed to moral behavior (through reading the Ten Commandments, for instance), his or her willingness to participate in immoral

When we adopt any method, idea or principle from a secular worldview, we are not merely borrowing a tool, but are borrowing the whole tool box with all its associated problems and biases.

behavior is reduced.21 It has been shown that when a business promotes a code of ethics that management follows, modeling appropriate behavior, employees are less likely to act unethically.22 The inverse was also found to be true. When participants were exposed to an article promoting negative morality, they actually chose to cheat to win a raffle.23 What we have is a confirmation of an old biblical principle: “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (I Corinthians 15:33, NIV).

What must be realized is that when we adopt any method, idea or principle from a secular worldview, we are not merely borrowing a tool, but are borrowing the whole tool box with all its associated problems and biases.24 The more often we use the borrowed method, idea or tool the more its associated tools and ideas become attractive. Over time, even small compromises create enough psychological weight and practical results that the follower of Jesus may undergo what Kuhn called a paradigm shift.25 All of those compromises, hedges on moral principle, or adaptations of “means to an end” thinking may initially swirl around as outliers or anomalies of behavior.

The person may even trivialize or compartmentalize them in order to lessen inner conflict.26 Over time, however, one develops patterns of behavior and thinking that can’t be sealed off or rationalized. Jesus referred to this when he stated that, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10).

Research reveals that our moral choices are grounded less in rationality than they are in emotion and action because of our innate desire to fit into our referent group.27 With organizations’ emphasis on being a team player and loyalty to the brand, people may find that the pressure to conform in order to maintain employment or advance their career

begins to crowd out their desire to live a life congruent with their biblical worldview. Those responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and standing true to their principles often experience getting the cold shoulder from other employees, being excluded from work activity and decisions by supervisors, or even verbal abuse from supervisors.28 The voice of the workplace begins to drown out the voice of the Holy Spirit and compromise ensues. This compromise is more than going along to get along. It involves a shift of allegiance. In essence, the adoption of a small aspect of a secular worldview in order to fit in and avoid sanction may begin the process of an identity shift, however subtle.

Identity and Moral Choices

As Christian businesspeople, it is important how we view ourselves. Do we identify ourselves as businesspeople who happen to be Christian, or as Christians who happen to be businesspeople? It speaks to the locus of our heart’s affection and its allegiances. Haidt’s research makes it clear that our moral anchor resides in the culture or group in which our identity resides.29 We use our rational mind to justify our moral choices more than to form them. Our gut reaction to moral issues has been shaped by the process of conforming to our referent group’s worldview. By adopting the tools or methods of a secular worldview, subtle shifts of allegiance take place.

Jesus made this clear when he said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt. 6:24). Note that Jesus is not saying that you must have the core of your identity match your actions; rather, your affections grow out of your core identity. Every act inconsistent with one’s biblical worldview is a corruption of one’s core or essential self.30 “…Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matt. 7:16-18). The need for our actions to conform to our sense of self is so strong that when our sense of self is contradicted by our actions, more than just moral confusion takes place. What we encounter is identity confusion.

Identity confusion affects reputation. Vacillation between values of two opposing worldviews soon produces contradictory behavior and decisions that our followers may see as weakness or untrustworthiness. Trust is one of the most valuable currencies of business and is essential to credibility.31 When individuals act in a manner contradictory to stated values, they erode trust. Followers look for leaders to walk the talk. If unchecked, these compromises of a biblical worldview become not only easier but greater in ethical intensity. As one rationalizes one’s actions to decrease discomfort, greater compromises become easier and trust is further eroded. With one decision we can begin the journey down a slippery slope of moral compromises and a shift of our identity from being anchored in Christ and a biblical worldview to another defined by our profession or society and embracing values diametrically opposed to a biblical worldview.

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In the scenario mentioned at the beginning of this article, one of the key biblical values being compromised relates to human dignity. Since humans are made in the image of God, they must not be treated as means or objects to be manipulated to achieve personal goals. By choosing to treat people as a means to an end, a Pandora’s Box of potential ethical breaches is opened. What happens when employees or customers begin to sense that the business leader or the company sees them as objects to exploit for gain?

How to Avoid Moral Drift

If small moral compromises can threaten a biblical worldview, what can be done to protect one’s integrity? This is all the more important since the globalization of business exposes people to many cultures with a worldview often in conflict not only with Scripture, but U.S. and sometimes international laws as they pertain to business. The complexity can be daunting as one navigates cultural and business practices of bribery, extortion, child labor, gender discrimination, exploitation of the poor, nepotism, environmental pollution, workplace safety and countless other issues. Despite the complexity, there are actions one can take to maintain one’s witness and reputation and still advance one’s career and business.

Critical reflection

Cultivating a practice of critical reflection is the first step in seeking to maintain an authentic biblical worldview. By cultivating a habit of critical reflection, we can actually strengthen our biblical worldview after moral compromises.32 The Jesuits are trained to spend the latter portion of each day reflecting on their actions and reactions to people and situations.33 What can they learn about themselves or the situation that would lead them to respond differently in the future and avoid compromise? What acts or thoughts require repentance and a recommitment to truth or even making restitution if someone is wronged? Such regular scrutiny has power to transform as well as inform and strengthen worldview.

We can also learn a great deal from those who seek to plant churches in other cultures. They wrestle with how to direct the church to become a part of the target culture, fully expressing that culture in its practice, without compromising the truth of the gospel or adopting cultural practices that are against biblical teaching. This is called contextualization, and business finds itself saddled with the same challenge as it expands to other cultures.34 A request for a gift in order to start business negotiations may or may not be an ethical breach depending on the culture or people involved.35 What missionaries came to understand is that they must know not only the Word of God, but also become quasi-experts in the new culture, understanding the broad issues as well as the nuances of the culture.

Ultimately, there is a realization that all cultures possess good aspects that can be kept or assimilated and bad aspects that must be replaced or eliminated. To be able to sort out the ethical from the unethical requires critical analysis that can’t hap-

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Commutative

Relates to the equitable exchange of goods or fulfillment of contracts. When you go to the market and the scales are accurate, that is representative of commutative justice. “You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly” (Deut. 25:15-16).

Distributive

Relates to the equitable distribution of goods in a society.

Distributive justice focuses on outcomes. “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:9, 10).

Procedural

Relates to fairness in processes to settle disputes or allocate resources. “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly” (Leviticus 19:15).

Retributive

Relates to punishment for wrongdoing. “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” (Exodus 21:22-24).

Restorative

Relates to the needs of victims and offenders, with offenders taking responsibility to repair wrongs done. “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost’” (Luke 19:8, 9). pen without having sufficient information to understand the situation. We must be committed to being a lifelong learner.

Intentional Study

Regular study of the Scripture with specific attention to underlying principles is essential. This goes beyond merely reading

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Scripture or personal devotional study. It needs to also include focused exploration of key aspects of biblical principles as they pertain to business life. For example, how do the five types of

With one decision we can begin the journey down a slippery slope of moral compromises and a shift of our identity from being anchored in Christ and a biblical worldview to another defined by our profession or society and embracing values diametrically opposed to a biblical worldview.

justice mentioned in the Bible (see box Five Types of Justice) relate to how we conduct business in the world? In affirming human dignity, how do we also affirm personal responsibility?

Does the concept of community only apply to the culture within the firm or does it extend to external stakeholders? Those who follow Christ are expected to intentionally expand their knowledge of God’s Word and know how it applies to everyday life. “…you should be teachers (and)… can tell the difference between good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).

By deepening our understanding in the Word of God and by daily applying these principles within the business context, navigating the complex world becomes much more manageable. This focus on the application of biblical teaching to business reveals how truly literate we are in the Word of God. For instance, in conducting business in a country where women are seen as property and have few if any rights, how would we apply scriptural teaching related to the equality of women and the need to affirm the image of God in them? How would our business treat the women it employed? Would we mirror the culture? Jesus seemed to go against the convention in how He related to women and their place in his work.

Study of the Scripture is only the beginning, particularly when it comes to doing business internationally. Business people should use the same diligence and study to understand the culture and worldviews of those with whom they do business. Superficial recognition of cultural issues must be replaced with deep understanding. This may take time. More importantly, it requires humility and a willingness to become vulnerable and learn from those in the target culture.

Development of critical consciousness, looking behind everyday life to uncover social and political realities, is what it means to be literate in the world and its practices.36 For instance, is the gift giving practice in the foreign culture a form of bribery or a form of hospitality or commitment to community? What would be the telltale signs of bribery? Is this a pattern across the whole culture or is it isolated to this particular business or leader? Have we confided in a local member or expert on the culture for his/her views on this practice? Does

the practice conflict with any national or international laws or codes of conduct? All of these questions force one to move beyond the superficial in understanding other cultures and how best to practice business within them. Failure to practice such critical consciousness could lead to not only embarrassing errors, but mistakes that destroy reputations and careers.

Community of Faith

Earlier it was pointed out that our sense of morality is anchored in our referent group and that we use our rational mind to justify those values. That led to a brief discussion about identity.

Understanding identity is important for us since so much of our life is spent with a diverse group of people who may or may not share our worldview or challenge our values.

Since we are all subject to biases and blind spots, it is important that we place ourselves in a community of likeminded business people who are struggling to live out a biblical worldview, a community of learners and practitioners from whom we can gain new perspective.

Joining a community of like-minded business people that acts as coach, cheerleader, sounding board, philosopher, and when needed, conscience, provides protection by drawing on informed expertise. This community, large or small, will help us gain and maintain perspective as we debate approaches, discuss ideas, and explore new ways to apply Scripture to daily life. An authentic community requires transparency and vulnerability while encouraging its members to greater accomplishment and personal development.

Conclusion

What is exciting is that the Christian business man or woman has the best possible platform to demonstrate the glory of God and the righteousness of His teaching. Application of a biblical worldview in business has nearly limitless possibilities for transforming communities and individuals, making the world a better place while extending the Kingdom of God. Consequently, Christian business people must guard against adopting secular ideas or methods in their practice.

Small compromises can lead to changes in behavior and perspective that will harm one’s witness and possibly one’s career.

By practicing critical reflection, lifelong learning and joining a community committed to living out a biblical worldview, we can protect ourselves from compromises and strengthen our witness and career.

Consider the lesson of Daniel and his colleagues in the Old Testament. They maintained integrity with their biblical worldview and culture while excelling in their positions of leadership in a ruthless and pagan culture. Their example required careful thought, deep commitment to the disciplines that nurture biblical understandings, and wisdom in navigating a complex and hostile environment.

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About the Author

Notes

J. Randall Wallace is Director of Business Programs at the Bakersfield Center of Fresno Pacific University.

An educator with experience in adult education and community development, he is the founder of Mustard Seeds & Mountains, located in the heart of Appalachia in one of the poorest counties in the nation. He has brought in over 5,000 volunteers to do home repair to make homes warm, safe and dry for the needy, elderly and disabled. Mustard Seeds has served the poor through learning centers, after school tutoring programs, micro economic development, Bible clubs and training young entrepreneurs. Wallace is the author of Mission As Life: Making the Kingdom of God Your Family’s Passion (Xulon Press, 2010), as well as many articles. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University.

William P. Cordeiro, “Entrepreneurial Business Ethics: A Special Case of Business as Usual?,” Review of Business Research 8, no. 4 (2008).

2 Andrew Gustafson, “In Support of Ethical Holism: A Response to Religous Perspectives in Business Ethics” Business Ethics Quarterly 10, no. 2 (2000), p. 443.

1

George Barna, “Barna Survey Examines Changes in Worldview among Christians over the Past 13 Years,” Barna Research Group, https://www. barna.org/barna-update/article/21-transformation/252-barna-survey-examines-changes-in-worldview-among-christians-over-the-past-13-years#.

Utx9rrSIaUk. 4 J. Randall Wallace, “Servant Leadership: A Worldview Perspective,” International Journal of Leadership Studies 2, no. 2 (2007).

5 Nancy Pearcey, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004).

6 Gustafson, “In Support of Ethical Holism”, pp. 442-447.

7 Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (Notre Dame, IA: University of Notre Dame Press, 1984).

8 Jan Svanberg, “Are Professional and Job Role Beliefs Useful Targets for Teaching Accounting Ethics? Effects on Perceived Guilt,” International Journal of Business Research 11, no. 5 (2011), p. 41.

9 Josef Wieland, “Ethics and Economic Success: A Contradiction in Terms?,” Journal of Psychology 218, no. 4 (2010).

10 See Pearcey, Total Truth; also Nancy Murphy and George F.R. Ellis, On the Moral Nature of the Universe: Theology, Cosmology and Ethics (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1996), pp. 98-121.

11 Wieland, “Ethics and Economic Success.”

12 Diana Ayton-Shenker, “The Challenge of Human Rights and Cultural Diversity,” (1995), http://www.un.org/rights/ dpi1627e.htm.

13 Edward Lorenz, “The Butterfly Effect,” in The Chaos Avant-Garde: Memories of the Early Days of Chaos Theory, ed. Ralph Abraham and Yoshisuke Ueda (Farrer Road, Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co., 2000), p. 10.

14 Adilson E. Motter and David K. Campbell, “Chaos at Fifty,” Physics Today Online 66, no. 5 (2013).

15 Arnold Diamond, “Chaos Science: Ubiquitous Revolutionary Theory Has Implications for Marketing Researchers and Their Predictions,” Marketing Research 5, no. 4 (1993), p. 10.

16 Lisa Irvin, “Ethics in Organizations: A Chaos Perspective,” Journal of Organizational Change Management 15, no. 4 (2002).

17 Leon Festinger, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonnance (Redwood City, CA: Stanford University Press, 1957).

18 Ibid.

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19 Irving Janis and J. Barnard Gilmore, “The Influence of Incentive Conditions on the Success of Role Playing in Modifying Attitudes.,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1, no. 1 (1965).

20 Leon Festinger and James Carlsmith, “Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance,” Journal of Abnormal Psychology 58, no. 2 (1959).

21 Nina Mazar, On Amir, and Dan Ariely, “The Dishonesty of Honest People: A Theory of Self-Concept Maintenance “ Journal of Marketing Research 45, no. 6 (2008), pp. 635-636.

Simon Webley and Andrea Werner, “Corporate Codes of Ethics: Necessary but Not Sufficient,” Business Ethics: A European Review 17, no. 4 (2008).

23 Tage S. Rai and Keith J. Holyoak, “Exposure to Moral Relativism Compromises Moral Behavior.,” Journal of Experimental Psychology 48 (2013), p. 999.

24 Os Guinness, The Gravedigger File: Papers on the Subversion of the Modern Church (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1983), p. 43.

25 Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1970).

26 Robert Vincent Joule and Marie-Amelie Martinie, “Forced Compliance, Misattribution and Trivialization,” Social Behavior and Personality 36, no. 9 (2008).

27 Jonathan Haidt, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion (NY: First Vintage Books Edition, 2012), pp. 219-276.

28 Curtis C. Verschoor, “New Survey of Workplace Ethics Shows Surprising Results,” Strategic Finance (2012).

29 Haidt, The Righteous Mind.

30 Larry May, The Socially Responsive Self: Social Theory and Professional Ethics (Chicago, IL: Chicago Press, 1996).

31 Carol Stephenson, “Rebuilding Trust: The Integral Role of Leaderhip in Fostering Values, Honesty and Vision “ Ivey Business Journal Online (2004).

32 Jerry D. Goodstein, “Moral Compromise and Personal Integrity: Exploring the Ethical Issues of Deciding Together in Organizations,” Business Ethics Quarterly 10, no. 4 (2000).

33 Chris Lowney, Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-Year Old Company That Changed the World (Chicago, IL: Loyola Press, 2005), pp. 113-136.

34 Paul G. Hiebert, “Critical Contextualization,” Missiology: An international review. 13, no. 3 (1984).

35 Fadiman, “A Traveler’s Guide to Gifts and Bribes.”

36 Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed., 32nd ed. (New York: Continuum, 1990.)

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animal spirits vs the holy spirit

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animal spirits vs the holy spirit

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Abstract Volatile markets, recurrent credit crises, and the seeming intractability of economic booms and busts of the recent past have eluded academics and policymakers eager for lasting solutions.

Irrational behaviors driven by “animal spirits” – human passions found to often underlie market panics and manias, have aroused the need for redoubled regulatory response and ethics education. However, regulatory efficacy is often suspect because of the rational behavior of innovative agents, and moral suasion (ethics) rings hollow when people living in moral relativism are blinded to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. A difference in worldviews explains why reactive policy fixes are often ineffectual unless true confidence is restored with a spiritual transformation of the heart and mind.

Introduction

I

n financial markets, volatility (asset price gyrations) is synonymous with risk. Heightened risk perception discourages participation by market investors and precipitates speculative trading, leading to more volatility, rising risk premiums, and depressed asset prices.1 The decade that began in the year 2000 is often labeled the “lost decade” because the burst of the internet and subprime housing bubbles, along with the after effects of the 9/11 and global credit crises, brought about one of the worst 10-year investment periods ever for stocks.2 Market volatility was inarguably a contributor to the market’s performance malaise, but what were the drivers of runaway, spontaneous volatility that can and have plunged markets and entire economies into a tailspin?

The experience of the last decade has put the spotlight on the fundamental role of the human psyche in the recurrent cycles of financial and economic crises. Human emotions and passions – greed, fear, excitement and hope – offer unique insights into why markets spiral into euphoria and panic against rational expectations.3 As one analyst observed during a particularly volatile time in recent market history, “Macro factors and psychology are the most important factors for investors right now.”4 The behavioral perspective on markets also convinced some scholars that future crises will be difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate.5 While human psychology contributes to a better understanding of market upheavals, it does not help resolve problems that are beyond human self-control. The nature of man and his relationships are the basic substance of both the behavioral sciences and the Holy Scriptures, and it is the latter that can offer a definitive solution to the intractable ills of the human psyche.

Policymakers who don’t share a biblical worldview would arrive at drastically different conclusions than those who do. If humans are but evolved animals with higher intelligence, then human passions and the behaviors they manifest are spontaneous expressions of our animal spirit. These expressions need to be constrained, coaxed, and perhaps channeled by laws toward the common good. Accordingly, much emphasis has been placed by secular scholars and policymak-

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ers on the role of the state, by engaging tools of legislation, regulation, ethical education, and public awareness campaigns, as key pillars for any meaningful solutions.

If instead humans are made in God’s image and bear a conscience redeemable by faith, then Christian virtues would play a significant role in sustaining the robustness of modern market systems. As Logue observed, “(Christian) virtues and virtuous behavior make markets more efficient and that sufficient integrity must exist to engender a critical level of trust or markets will completely collapse.”6 This suggests that any solution which ignores the life transforming power of the Holy Spirit does not address the core issues of human frailty and will necessarily fall short. As theologian Carl Henry observed back in 1955: “The disengagement of economic problems from the spiritual realm, the determination to find economic solutions while the religious problem is ignored or held in suspense, constitutes the prime crisis.”7 This essay suggests that a comprehensive solution to market turbulence and financial crises is not found in a behavioral theory of the will, but rather one of the heart – one that is transformed and renewed day by day in a Spirit-filled life.

Human frailties, the psychological underpinnings of cycles of booms and busts, can be met in the end only by spiritual answers. Biblical revelation, which gives unique insights into the nature and experience of the human soul or psyche, offers the only kind of wisdom that can restore hope and redress deficiencies that lie at the heart of financial and economic crises.

Financial Crises and the Nature of Man

Historic cycles of market manias, panics and crashes are a hardy perennial in world financial history and share features with much commonality.8 From the Dutch Tulip mania and the South Sea and Mississippi bubbles in the 17th and early 18th centuries, to the parade of regional and global financial crises since the 1980s, financial panics and the associated economic maelstroms are marked by almost uniform undercurrents of excesses in liquidity, leverage, and risk-taking.9 The concept of “excesses” or “manias,” however, suggests a loss of touch with rationality, a basic tenet of (neo)classical economics. Economic self-interest in the classic (Adam) Smithian sense is understood to promote fair and orderly (i.e., confident) markets.10 The rational expectations assumption in economics postulates that asset prices are generally “right” in efficient markets, making excesses and frenzied reactions to changes in economic conditions unsustainable and expeditiously self-correcting events.11 While affirming rationality as a useful and generally valid description of reality, economists do allow for occasional departures from this assumption when rational individuals succumb to some type of “group think,” “mob psychology,” or “hysteria.”12 One widely recognized thread that strings together historical episodes of economic upheaval is traced, not surprisingly, to the very nature of man. Humans are at the same time rational and irrational decision makers. The rational man is driven by a deliberative assessment of options based on an informed, timely, forward-looking evaluation of relevant costs

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and benefits. The affective man, who behaves purely in response to innate passions such as optimism, pessimism, anger, greed and fear, is anything but rational.13 Historically, both patterns of behavior play a role in the boom-bust cycles of the financial world. Creative innovations that advance markets, improve trade, reduce risk, and create wealth were inevitably products of the resourceful, evaluative utility maximizer. Yet activities that take advantage of such innovations often spring from spontaneous responses to affective stimuli encompassing emotions and knee-jerk reactions aroused by basic instincts.

For example, the growth of complex, often highly leveraged, financial instruments known as derivatives has taken financial trading by storm since the 1970s. Derivatives make markets more efficient because they allow for the efficient transfer of risk between market participants. But often “derivatives were a simple case of greed and fear. Clients used these instruments to make money (greed) or protect themselves from the risk of loss (fear). Frequently, they confused the two.”14 In today’s modern economies, financial innovations have enabled massive transactions of highly leveraged speculative positions. The frequency of spiking volatility and convulsive reactions in financial markets seem to have multiplied since the turn of the new millennium as increasingly complex instruments and high frequency trading enable sharply amplified returns of investments with increasingly shortened time horizons.15 As a result markets have become increasingly seized with “hysteria” as investors react in knee-jerk reflex to opinions, speculations, or rumors, especially when the macroeconomy is at an inflexion point.16

Animal Spirits and Economic Crises

John Maynard Keynes, the namesake of Keynesian economics, first referenced the term “animal spirit” when describing the emotive state of human nature in economic decision making.

In his seminal work, The General Theory, Keynes suggests that “most of our decisions…can only be taken as the result of animal spirits - a spontaneous urge to action rather than inaction, and not as the outcome of a weighted average of quantitative benefits multiplied by quantitative probabilities.”17 According to Keynes, “animal spirit” is a persistent, predictive cause of economic instability.

More recently, Nobel laureates George Akerlof and Robert Shiller concluded in their book, Animal Spirits: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy that “economic crises are caused by changing thought patterns…by our changing confidence, temptation, envy, resentment, illusion, and … stories.”18 According to these scholars, by ignoring the role of animal spirits, the rationality assumption blinds us to the most important dynamics underlying economic crises and a path to effective responses.

Within the moral framework, the struggle between emotive and rational behaviors finds a close parallel in Adam Smith’s contests between “passions” and “the impartial spectator,” and in the Bible, the Apostle Paul’s incessant tug-of-war

between “flesh” and “spirit.” Adam Smith, in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, identifies the impartial spectator as the human ability to take a dispassionate view of one’s own conduct, as the source “of self-denial, of self-government, of that command of the passions.”19 Yet he recognizes that such perspective-taking can be overcome by sufficiently intense passions which “the greatest degree of self-government is not able to stifle.”20 For the Apostle Paul, the “flesh,” being the embodiment of the intellectual and moral frailties of fallen humanity, does and desires no good (Gal. 5:19-21). It is dominated by “fleshly passions” (Rom. 7:5) and is unable to obey God’s law (Rom 8:3). The “spirit,” on the other hand, is the new self, created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Eph. 4:22-24).

Driven by the presence of God in man (Gal. 4:6, Rom 8:15), the regenerated self is dominated by disciplined living that seeks to please God. These two principles are in deep and irreconcilable conflict, “for the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (Gal. 5:17).

These moral perspectives suggest that the torrent of “irrational” behaviors and moral indiscretions when reasoned responses and self-denial should be expected reflects the nature of the “flesh” at work. According to secular analysts, animal spirits (i.e., “flesh”) are intrinsic to human nature.

Individuals are basically incapable of making or unwilling to make proper economic decisions for themselves.21 Hence, paternalistic government programs and policies must step in to save people from making mistakes. In other words, artificial restraints of the will are needed to steer human behaviors and to rein in raging passions when they flare up. To quote Akerlof and Shiller, “the proper response lies with the state executing interventions so that animal spirits can be harnessed creatively to serve the greater good, [and thus] … (the) government must set the rules of the game.” 22 A main difficulty with this prescription, however, is that “animal spirits” also pervade government institutions and regulators so that they are as susceptible to panics and manias as in the private sector. In addition, policymakers almost always overestimate the impact of a new law or policy intended to constrain human behavior.

Evidence abound that such constraints often generate behavior which was never imagined by its sponsor. As Michael Jensen and William Meckling, two pioneers of modern finance, concluded: “as resourceful and evaluative maximizers, individuals respond creatively to the opportunities the environment presents, and they work to loosen constraints that prevent them from doing what they wish.”23 In other words, rules that merely seek to constrain rather than incentivize modified behavior often fail to yield expected results because of the creativity of the resourceful, rational human being.

The past half century offers many illustrations of how newly imposed constraints by the state fumbled in the face of rational responses from those being impacted. It is well documented that practices such as regulatory arbitrage and loophole mining have been used effectively by impacted market participants to frustrate attempts of governmental in-

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tervention.24 According to Miller, the exploitation of regulatory inconsistencies has indeed been a major impetus for financial innovations.25 Over time such innovative responses multiplied the sophistication of financial instruments, greatly enhanced the complexity of trades, and spawned shrewdly adaptive market intermediaries. Inevitably, future crises would expand in scope and intensity with each recurrence, and will be met by ever stronger regulatory response from the state. Such innovationregulation response cycles will cease to spiral only when the institution gets so asphyxiated by the regulatory morass that it finally collapses under its own weight.

The wisdom that can solve the problems of human weaknesses must be the wisdom that applies divine truths to the human experience.

If humans are creative, rational adaptors to artificial restraints as history seems to suggest, then the wisdom to deflecting future financial crises is unlikely to be found in the goodwill or discipline of human institutions. In a post-modern world in which “religious belief” is but a matter of “personal feelings” (i.e., emotions, passions),26 humanistic “moral” suasion also rings hollow. The “good” of human action, in the absence of ascendant accountability, is but one variable, if at all, in the economic calculus of risk and return.27 A worldly wisdom devoid of a transcendent God to whom all are accountable in eternity is the ultimate source of confidence loss,28 the very trigger of panics and manias. But there is a better alternative; one found in the spiritual-moral moorings laid down by a higher, supernatural authority – the Creator God. As Carl Henry observed, “separate the economic sphere from the living God and His claims, and humans will drift from one crisis to another under any economic formula.”29

Godly Wisdom and the Holy Spirit

Godly wisdom pertains to a regenerated spiritual person who leads a principled life that is not captive to fleshly passions.

Godly wisdom, according to the Scripture, is especially associated with the Holy Spirit, as a gift from God and comes by revelation (1 Cor. 2:4-6, Eph. 1:17, James 1:5). The wisdom that is derived from human knowledge brings only grief and frustration (Eccl. 2:9-11), and the confidence and pride that are bred from such knowledge leads only to destruction (1 Cor. 1:19-20, Ezek. 28:2-9).

In the final analysis, the wisdom that can solve the problems of human weaknesses must be the wisdom that applies divine truths to the human experience. This wisdom, as Proverbs 9:10 declares, is based on the “fear of the Lord,” a fear out of reverence that requires a personal knowledge of the Almighty. This divine wisdom keeps the commandments of God (Prov. 4:11) and is characterized by prudence (Prov.

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8:12), discernment (Prov. 14:8), and humility (Prov. 10:8). It is the driving force for a life of obedience, restraint, faithful stewardship and all that is the antithesis of the corruptions perpetrated by fleshly passions.

Fairness

Among major themes connecting animal spirits to financial crises, fairness and confidence (or the lack of it) are of particular prominence. Fairness is the fundamental ethical requirement of financial markets. Fairness concerns the comparative treatment of persons in relation to some rule, agreement, or recognized expectation.30 Actual or perceived unfair conditions (unlevel playing fields) or unfair trading practices (fraud and manipulation) compromise trust, discourage market participation, and contribute to volatile trading.31 Since fairness is driven by perceived reality and passionate belief, it is particularly vulnerable to exploitation in financial assets where the true worth is hard to ascertain given the complex nature of modern enterprises. This type of information asymmetry breeds moral hazard and outright scandalous behaviors, which tend to increase in euphoric periods when there is an apparent increase in the reward-risk ratio. The recent global financial crisis, for example, is often labeled a crisis of ethics.

Legislative justice and ethics education have often been considered the first line of defense against unfair practices that induce social harm. While laws and ethical standards constrain outward behavior, their limit stems from the rational response by transgressors to reward-risk tradeoffs when they are hijacked by passions such as greed, fear, pride and anger.

According to Scripture, justice and fairness are manifestations of God’s moral excellence, and God’s righteous character calls for believers to fulfill their sanctification by becoming righteous or just in actual moral acts.

From a Christian perspective, the concept of rights is central to justice. In addition, one person’s right becomes another’s duty. Therefore, the extension of a subprime mortgage to an eager home buyer when the agent or lender believes the transaction would likely bring financial ruin or undue hardship to the borrower is immoral. Scripture reminds believers of their accountability as safe-keeper of God’s moral justice in all spheres of human activity, but especially in the realm of commerce.32 Instead of reacting to laws and ethics that prescribe the norms of earthly conducts, the redeemed believer pursuing a Spirit-filled life would live by spiritual norms that call for the proactive, continual renewal of their minds (Rom. 12:2).

Godly wisdom complements the standard of righteousness with the laws of humility, contentment, and forgiveness, laws that are so clearly borne out in the Golden Rule (Mt. 7:12) and in Jesus’ parables (such as the parable of the unmerciful servant in Mt. 18:21-35 and the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Mt. 20:1-16). The result is not a justice maintained by suppressing an impassioned drive to gratify the self, but rather a liberated justice enabled by the insatiable desire to

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please the Holy Spirit. Such forms of fairness transcend legal and ethical norms.

Confidence

Confidence is the foundation on which healthy and prosperous markets are built. The loss of confidence, working through its natural conduits of fear and panic, has frozen up credit markets, precipitated business downturns, and prevented economic recoveries. Economic historians Charles Kindelberger and Robert Aliber summarize it this way: “Causa remota of any crisis is the expansion of credit and speculation while causa proxima is some incident that saps the confidence of the system and induces investors to sell.”33 The change in the mindsets of investors from confidence to pessimism is the predominant source of instability in the credit markets.

Confidence is rational when people use available information to make predictions. Yet confidence is also trust, which by nature, goes beyond the rational. People act according to what they trust to be true, and the ebbs and flows of economic tides speak volumes about the trust people have in the wrong things: crooks, profiteers, speculators, and things that have overblown values.

To the Christian, the truth on which trust rests transcends the tangible and the shifting of fortunes, “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7), and “the Lord will be our confidence” (Prov. 3:26). Trust must be in the right object and the trustworthiness of the object must be grounded in evidence that endures the test of time. Such trust breeds confidence, and confidence displaces fear. As Paul reminds Timothy in 2 Tim. 1:7: “God has not given us a spirit of fear.”

Christians trust the Spirit of God who indwells each believer as a source of power, love, and self-discipline. This self-discipline engenders behaviors that exemplify faithful stewardship. In spending decisions, for example, a believer who is confident in God’s provision and His call to bear witness for trust would strive to steer clear of an indulgent lifestyle. As Larry Burkett reminds us, “Our position in the Lord’s kingdom will be inversely proportional to how we indulge ourselves in this lifetime.”34 John Bogle, founder of Vanguard Group, one of the world’s premier investment firms, ascribes the conundrum of the most recent financial crisis to “too much focus on things, not enough focus on commitment.”35 A Christian ethic for consumption will call for frugality and contentment in our lifestyle, with the knowledge that “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mt. 6:20-21).

Our trust in the truths and commitment of the Almighty God also brings us face to face with His demand for accountability.

The Parable of the Talents (Mt. 25:14-30) reminds us that faithful stewardship in the kingdom economy means Christians should be prudent investors, not impudent specu-

lators. Benjamin Graham, often considered the father of value investing, describes investing as seeking capital preservation coupled with a reasonable expected return, and speculation as everything else.36 Capital preservation means retaining without loss what has been entrusted to us, and reasonable return means accruing what is expected to be sustainable economic value in a risk-justified, long term transaction. The search for value requires a long term commitment, whereas speculation thrives on short term trading.

Bogle laments that “when our market participants are largely investors, focused on the economics of business,...(market) volatility is low. But when our markets are driven, as they are today, largely by speculators, by expectations, and by hope, greed, and fear, the inevitably counterproductive swings in the emotions of market participants…produce high volatility, and the resultant turbulence that we are now witnessing became almost inevitable.”37 For Christians, the confidence that spawns contentment and a calmness of heart because of righteous moral acts speaks of a peace eternal. As Isaiah writes, “the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever” (Is. 32:17). In Matthew 25, Jesus offers a clear roadmap for Christians to live confidently in a fallen world where complacency, fear, and untrustworthiness abound. In these three parables, The Parable of the Ten Virgins, The Parable of the Talents, and The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, we learned that there is judgment awaiting those who do not live a Spirit-filled life – a life that is defined by the principles of alertness, accountability, and responsibility required of the regenerated man or woman.

Many of these same principles from Jesus’ parables also undergird a majority of the policy prescriptions offered by secular analysts and bureaucrats to “rid” our future of financial crises. However, it is highly doubtful that these secular measures would have the desired, time-enduring effects since they fail to address the corrupted core of the human psyche, which requires a reformed heart and mind from submission to the Holy Spirit. For the skeptics, they need to look no further for

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inspiration than the very embodiment of financial confidence itself: our currency, in which one is prominently reminded of the motto “In God We Trust.”

Conclusions

In Shakespeare’s famous play, Julius Caesar, Brutus, who masterminded Caesar’s assassination and was about to engage in a historic battle, would exclaim: “There is a tide in the affairs of men.

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures.”

Brutus’ utterance exudes a confidence that is driven by a spirit of willpower, opportunism, and optimism. If one believes he/she is onto something auspicious, there is a pervasive sense that it is time to get on the train before it leaves the station and the exceptionally profitable opportunities disappear.

It eerily reminds us of the same sentiment that permeated the (animal) spirit-filled real estate speculators and agents, be they representatives in the government, finance, or real estate industries, whose irresponsible behaviors ultimately plunged the markets and then the economies into turmoil in the most recent financial crisis. Their fate, of course, was the same as that which had befallen Brutus, who was defeated at Philippi.

Judging from the experience of the present and the recent past, the state of world economic affairs deserves nothing but a gloomy assessment of its destined path. Sovereign and household debt crises, policy gridlocks, volatility in the global financial markets, pervasiveness of financial scandals and the wild swings in public confidence punctuate the call for more laws, regulations and interventions by national agencies and supranational organizations. Inevitably, acknowledging the innovativeness of the rational man and the dominion of animal

About the Author

Ernest P. Liang is Director of the Center for Christianity in Business and Associate Professor of Finance at Houston Baptist University. Prior to his academic career, he spent 25 years as a finance executive in firms ranging from technology start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, as chief economist of an economic consultancy, and as a principal of an advisory for middle market transactions and executive recruitment. Trained as an economist but practiced as a finance professional, he holds a Ph.D. and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

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spirits is acknowledging the supremacy of a Godly wisdom that dismisses the efficacy of human solutions.

The spiritual truths of faith, accountability, justice and contentment are countervailing forces to the disruptive influ-

True “confidence” can only find anchor in a heightened awareness of moral and spiritual absolutes across the cultural landscape and a renewed sense of accountability to a higher authority

ences of animal spirits. They are never the products of legislation or self-reflection in a culture of moral relativism. Rather, they are the manifestations of a Spirit-enabled transformation of the human heart and soul. The world must be awakened to the truth that the appeal to moral or artificial restraints in the absence of the Holy Spirit’s convicting and renewing power is ultimately futile. If there is one government policy that addresses this truth, however inadequately, it must be the one that honors religious liberty and the protection of free exercise of religion in all human institutions.

In reality we recognize that the Christian worldview is under siege. For financial markets, a world that does not recognize the dominion of God will always succumb to panics and manias because its confidence is misplaced. Yet even here, exactly in the ashes of destruction and despair, Christians can magnify the impact of their witnessing.

The believer, as salt and light, can effect real changes during times of economic upheaval for the glory of God. In the plethora of solutions offered for the financial crises, the Christian’s voice for real reform must not be drowned out. True “confidence” can only find anchor in a heightened awareness of moral and spiritual absolutes across the cultural landscape and a renewed sense of accountability to a higher authority who will mete out eternal judgment according to His absolute moral laws.

The Scripture leaves no doubt that through faithful stewardship, believers can cultivate the consciousness of the divinity of their works and effect spiritual transformation around them. As the beloved cartoon character Pogo Possum would admit, “We have found the enemy, and he is us!” This admission is the real challenge for us all.

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Notes

S. Basu, “The new nemesis: Market volatility,” Journal of Financial Service Professionals, 66(1) (2012), pp. 13-16.

16 A case in point is the massive sell-off in global markets in the summer of 2011 from unfounded “rumors” about the financial soundness of French financial institutions that was floated and later retracted by a British tabloid (see D. Enrich, D., N. Bisserbe, and W. Horobin, W., “French bank shares plummet amid a mix of fears, rumor,” The Wall Street Journal (online), August 11, 2011).

17 J.M. Keynes, The General theory of employment, interest and money [1936] (reprint, London: Macmillan, 2007), pp. 161-62.

18 G. Akerlof, and R. Shiller, Animal spirits: How human psychology drives the economy, and why it matters for global capitalism (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2009), p. 4.

19 A. Smith, The theory of moral sentiments [1759] (Available from the Library of Economics and Liberty. Retrieved from http://www.econlib.org/library/ Smith/smMS.html), p. 26.

20 Ibid, p. 29.

21 J. Gokhale, “Animal spirits,” review of Akerlof and Shiller, Animal spirits. Cato Journal, 29(3) (Fall 2009), pp. 587-594.

15

The inverse relationship between market volatility and market return has strong theoretical and empirical support in the finance literature. See, for example, Crestmont Research, Stock market returns and volatility (2012), accessed online at: http://www.crestmontresearch.com/docs/Stock-VolatilityReturn.pdf; H. Guo, “Stock market returns, volatility, and future output,” Review - Federal Reserve Bank of St.Louis, 84(5) (2002), pp. 75-85; R.S. Pindyck, “Risk aversion and determinants of stock market behavior,” Review of Economics and Statistics, 70(2) (1988), pp. 183-90.

2 M.J. Pring, J.D. Turner, and T.J. Kopas, Investing in the second lost decade: A survival guide for keeping your profits up when the market is down (New York, NY.: McGraw Hill, 2012).

3 J. Ferry, “Investing in the fear factor,” The Wall Street Journal (online), September 19, 2010.

4 M. Farrell, “Stocks: All eyes on Greece and inflation,” CNN Money (online), April 4, 2012.

5 See Y. Shachmurove, “A historical overview of financial crises in the United States,” Global Finance Journal 22(3) (2011), pp. 217-231; C.M. Reinhart and 1

K.S. Rogoff, This time is different: Eight centuries of financial folly (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2009).

6 N.C. Logue, “Christian virtues and finance,” Journal of Biblical Integration in Business (Fall 1996), p. 43.

7 C. Henry, “Christianity and the economic crisis,” Vital Speeches of the Day, 21(15) (1955), p. 1244.

8 See, for example, C. Kindleberger and R. Aliber, Manias, panics, and crashes (Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2005); M. Bordo, “The crisis of 2007: The same old story, only the players have changed,” in D. Evanoff, D. Hoelscher, and G. Kaufman (eds.), Globalization and systemic risk (Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co., 2009), pp. 39-50; and Reinhart & Rogoff, This Time is Different.

9 E. Liang, “The global financial crisis: Biblical perspectives on corporate finance,” Journal of Biblical Integration in Business (Fall 2010), pp. 48-61; U.S. Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, The financial crisis inquiry report: Final report of the National Commission on the causes of the financial and economic crisis in the United States. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2011.

10 Adam Smith’s idea of the “invisible hand” refers to the self-regulating nature of the marketplace when individual pursuits of self-interest eventually lead to a socially desirable outcome. According to Smith, the desire to “better our conditions” is a desire to be socially approved, and social approval is secured through good character and behavior (i.e., ethic of reciprocity) – essentially a condition of fairness. Furthermore, these private actions, taken collectively but exercised without coordination, generate harmony and a type of spontaneous order (cf. Hayek) in the broader economy.

11 T.J. Sargent, “Rational Expectations,” in The concise encyclopedia of economics (Library of Economics and Liberty, 2008). Retrieved from http://www. econlib.org/library/Enc/RationalExpectations.html.

12 It is well established that, for example, in a demonstration effect, the Smiths will borrow and spend in order to catch up with the Joneses, resulting in crippling indebtedness. In a coordination failure, depositors will rush to withdraw in fear of being shut out, forcing a liquidity crisis for the depository institution and losses for depositors falling behind.

13 G. Loewenstein and T. O’Donoghue, Animal spirits: Affective and deliberative processes in economic behavior (Cornell University Working Paper, 2004).

Retrieved from http://cbdr.cmu.edu/seminar.

14 S. Das, Traders, guns & money: Knowns and unknowns in the dazzling world of derivatives (London: FT Prentice-Hall, 2006), p. 12.

Akerlof and Shiller, Animal spirits, p. 173.

M.C. Jensen and W.H. Meckling, “The nature of man,” Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 7(2) (1994), pp. 4.

24 Regulatory arbitrage and loophole mining both refer to financial innovations or maneuvers that are designed to circumvent legal or regulatory constraints on traditional financial contracts and transactions. Common examples relate to international tax and bank risk capital regulations.

25 M.H. Miller, Financial innovations and market volatility (Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 1992).

26 N. Pearcey, Total Truth (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2005), p. 21.

27 This is not to say that post-modernism is devoid of ethics, although postmodern ethics is not based on universal or unchanging principles. “Post-modernism rejects the idea of absolute truths, principles, and norms. It professes the validity of diversity and relativity in the definition of truths and moral virtues” (J.M. Vorster, “Christian ethics in the face of secularism,” Verbum Et Ecclesia, 33(2), 2012, pp. 1-8). This cultural moral relativism makes accountability of human behavior situational since there is no universal moral reality to which one’s moral judgment must correspond.

28 W. Henley, “Life balance in the vortex of changes,” Christian Business Review (No. 1) (2012), pp. 40-45.

29 Henry, “Christianity and the economic crisis,” p. 1244.

30 The definition presented here is commonly referred as to procedural fairness since it concerns merely the application of an established rule or procedure and not the substance of the same rule or procedure. In other words, the rule (procedure) itself may be unfair or immoral even though it is fairly applied. The substantive fairness issue is a more contestable topic and is not discussed here. For more on this see E. Heath, “Fairness in financial markets,” in J.R. Boatright, (ed)., Finance ethics, critical issues in theory and practice (Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2010), pp. 163-178.

31 Boatright (ed.), Finance ethics.

32 See, for examples, passages in Isa. 33:15, Prov. 16:11 in the OT and Col. 4:1 and Heb. 6:10 in the NT. 33 Kindleberger and Aliber, Manias, panics, and crashes, p. 104.

34 L. Burkett, Business by the book: The complete guide of biblical principles for the workplace (Nashville, TN.: Thomas Nelson, 1998), p. 43.

35 J. Bogle, Enough: True measures of money, business, and life (Hoboken, N,J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2009), p. 183.

36 B. Graham, The intelligent investor (New York, NY: Harper Business, 2005).

37 Bogle, Enough, p. 52.

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CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES Review Process

Permissions

Each proposal or paper is reviewed by one of CBR’s editors and, if it is judged suitable for this publication, is then further evaluated: experience-based papers by the Editorial Board; and research-based papers by at least one independent referee for double-blind peer review in addition to the Editorial Board. Based on their recommendation, the editors then decide whether the paper should be accepted as is, revised or rejected.

Prior to article submission, authors should clear permission to use any content that has not been created by them.

As an academic journal the CBR adheres to high scholarly standards. As a publication for business professionals, the CBR emphasizes the practicality of ideas in the real world of business. In either case, however, the core message must convey biblical perspectives based on a proper interpretation of the Scripture with due regard for exegetical and hermeneutic principles.

The CBR covers a wide range of topics and is open to many approaches. For full-length articles the contributors must indicate thorough research of existing academic literature on the subject matter and offer a clear advance on the understanding of biblical integration. They may focus on any of the business disciplines, including such areas as leadership, ethics, organizational change, strategy, people management, marketing, economics, accounting and finance. Articles for the Living Cases, Insights and Book Reviews departments are typically shorter. These contributions should appeal to a broad audience and be written in a fluid, non-technical prose.

Title. A title of not more than eight words should be provided

General Purpose and Style

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Articles submitted to the journal should not have been published before in their current or substantially similar form, or be under consideration for publication with another journal.

Authors submitting articles for publication warrant that the work is not an infringement of any existing copyright and will indemnify the publisher against any breach of such warranty.

For ease of dissemination and to ensure proper policing of use, papers and contributions become the legal copyright of the publisher unless otherwise agreed. Authors continue to own the underlying ideas in the article.

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Manuscript Requirements

Please prepare your manuscript using the following guidelines:

Length. Research-based: 3,000–5,000 words; Experiencebased: 1,000-2,500 words Author. Include a page with the following information:

• Full name of each author • Affiliation of each author at time research was completed • Contact information for first or corresponding author (address, e-mail, telephone) • Brief biography of each author • Abstract. Authors will provide an abstract of no more than 200 words. It must state the paper’s: • Purpose • Design, methodology or approach • Results or findings • Conclusions and implications (research, practical, social, etc.)

• Value/importance/originality

Article Classification. Categorize your paper on the Article Title page under one of the following CBR classifications: • Research Paper • Case Study (Living Cases) • Narrative (Insights) • Interview • Book Review

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AUGUST 2014

CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES

Tables. Tables should be typed and included in a separate file relative to the main body of the article. The position of each table should be clearly labeled in the body text of the article with corresponding labels being clearly shown in the separate file. As a general rule, statistical tables should be prepared in a format in which numbers can be clearly legible and do not have a congested appearance.

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Alternatively the editorial staff will work with the authors to prepare these illustrations. The CBR reserves the right to make final editing of all artworks before their publication.

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Currency. Since the CBR is a journal, its articles should address matters of current importance. When the subject matter is one of the “perennial questions,” the author should do more than repeat what has been said already in places that are readily accessible to other scholars.

Biblical Perspective. The author may assume that his or her readers are generally familiar with, and sympathetic to, the biblical worldview. The guiding principles of the CBR are steeped in the evangelical and Protestant doctrines; its editorial policy, however, is ecumenical.

c. All text (including extracts within the text, footnotes, etc.) must be double-spaced and in 12 point Times Roman font. d. Except as listed below, avoid all typographic embellishments, including bold, italics, underline, centering, type ornaments (dingbats), and words typed in all capitals. e. Type one space after periods, colons, and semicolons. f. Endnotes rather than parenthetical citations should be used; refer to the Chicago Manual for formatting guidelines. Use superscript for the endnote numbers in the text and for the endnote numbers themselves. In the text, no space should precede the endnote number. In the endnotes, no period or space should follow the endnote number. g. Book, journal, magazine, or film titles should be italicized rather than underlined. h. Left justify all text; do not full justify. Begin new paragraphs by typing a hard return and indent each paragraph .5 inch using a tab; do not use the space bar to indent. Do not insert extra space between paragraphs. Extracts should be indented from the left margin .5 inch using the indent command in your word processing program. i. If the manuscript is divided into parts, type each heading in bold. If your manuscript is divided into subparts, type each subheading in italics. Do not number headings or subheadings. Type all headings and subheadings in upper and lower case; avoid all capitals, underlining, or other embellishments. j. Consult the Chicago Manual for proper capitalization (for example, Bible and Scripture are capitalized, but biblical and scriptural are not).

Submission. Please send all correspondence and manuscript submissions to: cbr@hbu.edu

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a. Submit final manuscript in electronic format using Word or WordPerfect. b. Ensure the final manuscript follows The Chicago Manual of Style and the Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for spelling and hyphenation. Follow American rather than British rules for spelling.

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