Ligonier Ministries and Compass Cinema have joined forces to put out an excellent 12-part video series entitled Economics For Everybody. The curricula will be available on August 15 for $45, but they’re currently pre-selling it for only $29. The 12 video lessons (each approximately 20 minutes) come on two DVDs along with a study guide. I’ve viewed about six of the videos so far and think they’re excellent (though some may quibble about a detail here or there).
Here’s the trailer, followed by a description of each lesson.
2. The Economic Problem of Sin | Law, Liberty & Government – The Fall of Man & Scarcity – Impact of Fall on Stewardship & Work – Grace of Law – Economic Aspects of 10 Commandments – Civil Government – Liberty vs. Tyranny – Theology to Anthropology to Politics to Economics – Trade –
3. The Path from Work to Wealth | Production, Property & Tools – What is Wealth? – Principles That Lead to Wealth – Work – Production – Ownership & Private Property – Land, Labor & Capital – Savings & Capital Accumulation – Division of Labor – Tools – Mass Production – Lower Prices & Increased Purchasing Power
4. The Route From Scarcity to Plenty | Money, Markets & Trade – Famines, Scarcity & Prosperity – Value – Economic Demand – Markets – Free Trade – Money – Laws of Supply & Demand – Price – Marginal Utility – Impact on Prices – Greater Selection of Goods & Services at Lower Prices
5. The Role of the Entrepreneur | Capital, Calculation & Profit – What is an Entrepreneur? – Importance of Capital – Economic Calculation – Job Creation – Technology – Profit – Competition – Self-balancing Free Market
6. A Tale of Two Theologies, Part 1 | From God to Politics – Consequences of Economics – 19th-century England vs. 20th-century Soviet Union & Impact on Christianity – Comparison of Christianity vs. Atheism – Two Systems at War – Theologies – Anthropologies – Political Philosophies – Political Systems
7. A Tale of Two Theologies, Part 2 | Economic Philosophies & Systems – Comparison between Christian & Atheistic Economic Philosophies – Private vs. Public Ownership of Property – Free Market vs. Command & Control/Socialistic – Interventionism – Freedom & Growth of Christianity
8. Government Intervention | Basic Principles & Education – German Socialism in WWI – North Star Principle: Biblical Stewardship – Intervention & Stewardship – Areas of Interventionism – Quick History of U.S. & Economics – U.S. Educational Policy & Stewardship
9. The Two Mysteries of Monetary Policy | Inflation & Depressions – Two Mysteries: Devaluation of Dollar and The Great Depression – What is Money? – Government & Banks – Interest Rates – Federal Reserve – Inflation & Stealing – Interventionist Monetary Policy & Stewardship – Inflation leads to Boom & Bust Cycle – Influence of Central Bank – Great Depression – Govt Policies & Stewardship
10. The Welfare & Corporate States of America | The Costs of Redistribution – The Welfare State – Biblical View – Brief History – Problems of Intervention – Growth of Welfare State – Christian Questions – The Corporate State – Cronyism – Politics and Business – Government Spending – Government Taxation – Government Borrowing – Impact on Stewardship
11. Economics Has Consequences | The Real Effects of Sin – North & South Korea – Impact of Economics on Christianity – Sin & Economics – Socialism: Scarcity & Police State – Gradual Socialism/Interventionism: Nation of Rent Seekers – Regulation & Bureaucracy – Free Markets – Economics & Religious Freedom
12. Kingdom Economics – Genesis 3:15 & The Serpent – Moses & Slavery – Sack of Rome and Augustine’s City of God – Hitler’s Mein Kampf – Gradual Socialism & Christianity – Liberty & Economics – The Kingdom and the Future