Christian Ethics and the Teaching of Introductory Economics (Essay‪)‬

Nearly one million post-secondary students take an introductory economics course each year in the United States. The current mainstream introductory economics textbooks do a fine job of presenting the technical and conceptual frameworks that underlie the economic success of the market system. While ostensibly confined to analysis of the "positive" dimensions of economics, in fact, the top-selling introductory textbooks cite an extensive array of ethical issues and, in so doing, provide ample opportunity for instructors to introduce serious consideration of ethical issues. Grappling with ethical issues will return substance, relevance, and excitement to the learning of economics. Christian instructors, in particular, can (and must) bring to this discussion clear, theologically grounded, ethical principles for economic life. Introduction