{"product_id":"the-economy-of-christianity-james-okon-9798248244164","title":"The Economy of Christianity: A Divine Market in Human History","description":"\u003cb\u003eWhat if Christianity isn't just a religion-but the most powerful economic force in human history?\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWe think of economics as the realm of markets, currencies, and rational actors. We think of faith as the realm of the spiritual, the private, the otherworldly. But for two millennia, Christianity has been doing something far more radical: creating, transforming, and challenging material worlds. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE ECONOMY OF CHRISTIANITY \u003c\/b\u003ereveals the hidden history of how a small Jewish sect from the Roman periphery became the most consequential economic revolution the world has ever known-not despite its otherworldly message, but because of it. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this landmark work, \u003cb\u003ePastor James Okon\u003c\/b\u003e takes us on an extraordinary journey from the cosmic ledger of Genesis to the trillion-dollar faith-based sector of today, demonstrating that the Gospel of peace and love has always been, at its core, an economic proposition. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDiscover how: \u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Jubilee laws of ancient Israel invented the concept of systemic debt cancellation-a divine reset mechanism that challenges our assumptions about poverty and inequality.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe early church's koinonia created social capital so dense that \"there was not a needy person among them\"-a trust economy that outperformed the surrounding Roman welfare systems.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBenedictine monasteries became Europe's first industrial hubs, preserving classical knowledge while spiritualizing manual labor and inventing modern agriculture, brewing, and timekeeping.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eQuaker merchants built banking empires on a single principle: absolute honesty meant their word was bond, reducing transaction costs and creating reputational capital that rivals anything in modern finance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe abolition movement deliberately sacrificed massive GDP for the sake of human dignity-proving that moral conviction can reshape global markets.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eModern faith-based organizations contribute over $1.2 trillion annually to the American economy alone, operating schools, hospitals, and relief networks with efficiency that secular systems cannot replicate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut this book does more than chronicle history. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE ECONOMY OF CHRISTIANITY\u003c\/b\u003e grapples with the uncomfortable questions: \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIs the Prosperity Gospel a heresy-or does it accidentally reveal something true about faith's material consequences? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhat happens when we apply cost-benefit analysis to martyrdom? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCan forgiveness be modeled as a debt cancellation mechanism? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHow do we account for the imago Dei on a balance sheet? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnd ultimately: \u003c\/b\u003e What does it mean that the central act of Christian worship-the Eucharist-is a meal that multiplies rather than depletes, a consumption that creates abundance? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThrough rigorous scholarship and accessible prose, this book: \u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntegrates biblical theology, church history, and modern economic analysis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProfiles the key figures-from Chrysostom to Calvin, from Wilberforce to Wendell Berry-who understood faith as an economic force\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides case studies of Christian economic experiments: Hutterite communities, Catholic Worker houses, Saddleback's PEACE Plan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes original data on giving patterns, volunteerism, and the economic impact of religious belief\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOffers discussion questions for small groups, classrooms, and church boards wrestling with real economic decisions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor readers of: \u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRodney Stark's The Victory of Reason - who want deeper theological engagement\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMax Weber's The Protestant Ethic - who seek updated scholarship and global perspective\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTim Keller's Every Good Endeavor - who crave historical depth and systemic analysis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWendell Berry's agrarian essays - who appreciate prophetic critique of industrial capitalism\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e James Okon\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798248244164\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/13\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 348\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.03lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.78d","brand":"James Okon","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":50665235611903,"sku":"9798248244164","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-economy-of-christianity-james-okon-9798248244164","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}