Ep 178: Ludwig von Mises vs. A Christian Scholar, Round 3 (N.T. Wright)

Ep 178: Ludwig von Mises vs. A Christian Scholar, Round 3 (N.T. Wright)

In the long-awaited third installment of my Ludwig von Mises vs. a Christian Scholar series, I take on the big dog himself, N.T. Wright. Wright is the world’s most famous New Testament scholar and theologian and is known for his pioneering work on the ‘New Perspective’ on Paul, Paul and empire, and the historical Jesus. I explain how his own theology of empire and the church helped lead me to libertarianism, but how Wright himself often fails to see the modern consequences of his own theological positions. I look at a passage from his book History and Eschatology where he writes a veiled critique of capitalism, and counter it with a passage from Mises’s Human Action that explains how free market capitalism actually works. This demonstrates that on a definitional level Wright doesn’t understand free markets and attributes to ‘capitalism’ economic problems that are directly caused by government intervention in the market. I then play clips from an interview Wright had with entrepreneur Phil Chen, showing that Wright fails to understand monetary theory, central banking, economic regulation, and markets. I counter his points with selected readings from the works of Mises, demonstrating how an understanding of the Austrian school of economics would better help Wright better apply his theology to modern social and economic problems. 

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The Christians for Liberty Network is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute consisting of shows and hosts offering various perspectives on the intersection of Christianity and libertarianism. Views expressed by hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the view of the organization, its staff, board members, donors, or any other affiliates (including other hosts or guests on the network). Guest appearances or interviews of any incumbents, officials, or candidates for any political, party, or government office should not be construed as endorsements. The Libertarian Christian Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and does not endorse any political party or candidate for any political, government, or party office. For information about the Libertarian Christian Institute’s core values, please visit this page.

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