DBU's Dr. Dave Arnott, Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, & Dr. Sergiy Saydometov Debut Institute for Christian Economics
"How does the Bible inform economics in the twenty-first century?" This is a question Dr. Dave Arnott and Dr. Sergiy Saydometov have had on their minds for a while and after co-authoring a book addressing this question, Biblical Economic Policy: Ten Scriptural Truths for Fiscal and Monetary Decision-Making, they have launched a new platform to expound upon their already existent resources.
The Institute for Christian Economics is a platform created by Dr. Dave Arnott, Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, and Dr. Sergiy Saydometov to help Christians engage in the world of economics in a biblical manner. The primary purpose of the ICE is to discover how Biblical truths affect the economy today and is made up of many resources spanning across written publications, online media, and academic materials. Dr. Jeff Johnson, Dean of the College of Business at DBU, is the administrator in charge of the Institute.
Written Publications
Dr. Arnott and Dr. Saydometov's book, Biblical Economic Policy, was inspired by a paper they co-authored titled "The Ten Biblical Commandments of Economics," which was submitted to the Christian Business Faculty Association held at John Brown University in 2019 and won the "Best Paper Award." The book has gained lots of praise. The next book will be a compilation of Dr. Arnott's podcasts. The working title is, Controversial Topics in Christian Economics.
Online Media
Dr. Arnott produces a podcast known as the Christian Economist that premieres on his YouTube channel. Each podcast ranges from 10 to 15 minutes and is released every Thursday morning. The focus of each podcast is specific economic topics and how the Bible speaks to these topics.
Academic Materials
In addition to these already existent resources, Dr. Arnott has presented a paper titled "The Benevolent Social Planner and the Christian Worldview" at the Christian Business Faculty Association meeting, hosted by Lipscomb University in Nashville. Dr. Arnott has also submitted an academic paper titled "A Christian Higher Education View of the Economy" to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities meeting in January of 2022. The paper encourages Christian Education institutions to view their students as made in the image of God. Lastly, Dr. Arnott is creating a collection of instructional videos titled "Economics Explained" in which he explains various elements of macroeconomics from a Christian worldview. These are intended to be used at Christian high schools when finished, which is estimated to be near the mid-year 2022.
Seeing an increasing need for Christians to navigate the economy through a biblical lens, Dr. Arnott, Dr. Saydometov, and Dr. Johnson are making big steps to help in that need. Armed with biblical knowledge and economic experience, these leaders are making an impact on the lives of Christians to help them understand how the Bible informs us about economic behavior that serves others and glorifies God.
Brooks Anthony writes for the University Communications Department for Dallas Baptist University.