The free market is not autonomous. It rests on men's faith in economic cause and effect, and especially their faith in its moral legitimacy. The Bible provides the moral foundation of free market voluntarism. The moral issue is personal responsibility. The Bible places this squarely on the shoulders of the individual decision-maker.

This book stands as a refutation of what is known as the Social Gospel. The Social Gospel, developed in the late 19th century, calls for government intervention into the economy in the name of biblical ethics. The Social Gospel is contrary to biblical ethics. (For a free book on the history of the Social Gospel, click here.)

I began my series, An Economic Commentary on the Bible, at almost the exact time that this book appeared in print: the spring of 1973.

This book is a compilation of articles that were published in various journals, but most appeared in The Freeman. The book introduces the reader to fundamental issues of economics. It shows how the free market offers institutional solutions to scarcity.

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