Anti-Poverty Efforts Need a Biblical Answer, But It's Not Socialism, Says AEI Panel
April 30, 2014|11:55 am
The panel for the American Enterprise Institute event "For the least of these: A biblical answer to poverty," held in Washington, DC on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. From left to right: Art Lindsey, vice president of theological initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics; Anne Bradley, vice president of economic initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics; Peter Greer, president and CEO of HOPE International; and Jay Richards, senior fellow at the Discovery Institute.
WASHINGTON A panel of experts on economics and theology who have recently come together to author a book on poverty believe that anti-poverty efforts need a biblical answer, but the Bible does not teach socialism.
Various experts brought together by the American Enterprise Institute presented their views on combatting poverty Tuesday afternoon at an event titled "For the least of these: A biblical answer to poverty."
The panel, which was cosponsored by the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, was comprised of some of the authors involved in a book of the same name released by WestBow Press last February.
Art Lindsey, vice president of theological initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, was part of the panel and one of the editors of the book.
Lindsey told The Christian Post that he saw the book as part of his "lifelong passion and calling" to "write biblical theological truth" regarding "personal and public life."
Lindsey also told CP that he "came from a more left-oriented perspective, sort of Jim Wallis and Sojourners and Ron Sider."
"I still appreciate much of what they taught me, but I think probably the great turning point was reading Michael Novak's book Spirit of Democratic Capitalismand other things that sort of opened my eyes that there was more to the story than what I've been told," said Lindsey.
In his remarks before those gathered at the AEI facility and in his comments to CP, Lindsey stressed his belief that "there is a lot in the biblical framework that's been misunderstood by people in the church."
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Anti-Poverty Efforts Need a Biblical Answer, But It's Not Socialism, Says AEI Panel