Economic ethics according to Luther: towards a dialogue between economics and theology

Michael Borowski ()

International Review of Economics, 2019, vol. 66, issue 3, No 4, 265-276

Abstract: Abstract Over the last decades, Luther’s writings on economic matters have been re-evaluated widely and deeply. In this paper, I will survey three of the most important contributions—quite different ones, but I claim that all of them paint different dimensions of the same picture. In addition to the historical, practical, and methodological perspective, I suggest to pay attention to Luther’s own theological method, which would be part of a grammar of economic ethics “according to Luther”. Further aspects of this grammar would be Luther’s framework (e.g., church and state) and Luther’s agenda (e.g., law and gospel). I conclude that applying such a grammar in new economic situations is not only a reasonable approach for non-theologians, but that it might genuinely do justice to Luther’s thought.

Keywords: Martin Luther; Economics; Theological method; Theology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B1 G0 N0 P4 Y3 Y4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s12232-018-0310-2

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