Christianity and Capitalism - Kingdom building

I will likely post my favorite quotations from Dr. Jay Richards's 2009 book, Money, Greed, and God: Why capitalism is the solution and not the problem, tomorrow. It's a fantastic read - and only about 200 pages.

In the book he blasts away eight (8) specific myths that have confused men as to the true character of capitalism. These myths are:

1. The Nirvana Myth - contrasting capitalism with an unrealizable ideal rather than with its alternatives
   
2. The Piety Myth - focusing on our good intentions rather than on the unintended consequences of our actions
3. The Zero-Sum Game Myth - believing that trade requires a winner and a loser
4. The Materialist Myth - believing that wealth isn't created, it's simply transferred
5. The Greed Myth - believing that the essence of capitalism is greed
6. The Usury Myth - believing that working with money is inherently immoral or that charging interest on money is always exploitative
   
7. The Artsy Myth - confusing aesthetic judgments with economic arguments
8. The Freeze-Frame Myth - believing that things always stay the same - for example, assuming that population trends will continue indefinitely, or treating a current "natural resource" as if it will always be needed)

If you want to understand capitalism, you need to read this book. If you want to understand why Christians should back capitalism as the best possible mechanism for engendering virtuous economic activity (regardless of sentiments - given that those of most men are immoral), then listen to Richards. You won't be disappointed.

Even those whose arguments he skewers have recommended his book.