What Bearing, If Any, Does the Christian Doctrine of Providence have Upon the Operation of the Market Economy? A Response to Robin Klay and John Lunn (Essay‪)‬

A special challenge that is faced by scholars who engage in interdisciplinary dialogue with their colleagues is how to establish, despite major differences in viewpoint, a common ground on which to agree. Alas, given the increasing specialization and polarization that characterizes much of our current intellectual and political discourse, such agreements are notoriously difficult to come by. Yet, one might reasonably expect an exception in the case of Christian scholars who, after all, are expected to freely share with the world the fruits of their learning. Thus, it is unfortunate that, among myself and Klay and Lunn, an agreement on basic assumptions has yet to be reached. Moreover, Klay and Lunn have suggested (1) that I have overlooked major portions of their argument; (2) that I, like most theologians, view the market only in terms of its shortcomings; and (3) that I ignore any and all advantages that markets can confer upon the multitudes (none of the above being true).