Ep 180: Jesus and Capitalism

In this episode, I discuss the problem of unclear economic thinking in Biblical scholarship. Terms like ‘capitalism’ and ‘socialism’ are often left undefined by the scholars who employ them, and the vague cultural notion that ‘capitalism’ is about evil and greed while ‘socialism’ is about virtue and charity characterizes the use of economic language in scholarship on the Bible. I discuss how many excellent scholars nevertheless make Jesus out to be a modern socialist despite doing excellent historical work on ancient economic systems. I define capitalism as it is understood by the Austrian school as a theory of private capital accumulation based on absolute respect for property rights. I then explain how modern economic concepts are foreign to ancient thinkers. I read through Luke 12:13-34 and explain the historical questions which need to be asked to accurately interpret this passage and explain how modern interpreters gloss over Jesus’s statements on wealth and charity with an uncritical appeal to socialism. I then explore this dynamic by reviewing the work of two New Testament scholars, Richard Horsley and Douglas Oakman, who do excellent historical analysis on ancient economic and political systems but impose modern socialist ideas onto the texts while coming to the incorrect political conclusions that all our modern problems are a result of capitalism on ‘capitalism’, when the real problem are socialist policies that they support. They allow their biases to determine interpretive outcomes. I also reveal that I am writing a book about all of this which I hope will be published in 2026.  

Media Referenced:

LVM vs. N.T. Wright: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-178-ludwig-von-mises-vs-a-christian-scholar-round-3-n-t-wright/

LVM vs. James K.A. Smith: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ludwig-von-mises-vs-christian-scholar-round-2-james-k-a-smith/

LVM vs. Michael Gorman: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ludwig-von-mises-vs-christian-scholar-round-1-michael-gorman/

James Crossley: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-169-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-with-james-crossley/

The Political Aims of Jesus, Oakman: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0800638476?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_R1NS418YPJNNEY9DRTDS_2&skipTwisterOG=1&bestFormat=true&newOGT=1

Jesus and Empire, Horsley: https://www.amazon.com/dp/080063490X?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_NBCAC8JTEJVMTVEC3M94&skipTwisterOG=1&bestFormat=true&newOGT=1

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.

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