When: June 10, 2021, 1:45 pm - Thursday

Where: Ezell 138

Session 4

Session Abstract

As part of society, Christians face unique questions in applying biblical ethical principles in the space of social policy.  This session brings a variety of scholars to address policy questions ranging from homelessness, ethical lifestyles, accounting ethics and theology-oriented economic policymaking.

 

Paper Abstracts

Robert C. Tatum, University of North Carolina Asheville, “To What End for Theology-Oriented Economic Policymaking?”

This paper explores the need for theology-oriented economic policymaking, as well as its possible sacred and secular ends. To facilitate this exploration, America’s Social Gospel movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries is examined as a historical case of theology-oriented economic policymaking. True to form, its policies were oriented by theology and supported by economic analysis, while seeking to reform the economic system, rather than replace it. Arguably, a driving force in the Social Gospel movement’s policy successes was the postmillennial eschatological views held by many of its adherents. As postmillennialism is not widely shared and unlikely to sustain a movement, this paper considers eschatological concepts of proleptic anticipation and memento mori.

 

Sarah Easter, Abilene Christian University, “Negotiating Meaning Systems in Cross Sector Partnerships to Tackle Grand Challenges: The Case of Homelessness”

Cross sector partnerships – partnerships that cut across public, private, and/or nonprofit sectors – are the key organizational form to respond to the world’s grand challenges. However, such partnerships face significant challenges arising from the need to negotiate multiple meaning systems with distinct and often opposing values and practices. We investigate how partnerships negotiate multiple meaning systems via an ethnographic study of a coalition to eradicate homelessness in Western Canada, involving over forty actors from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. We highlight how actors navigate norms and practices emanating from multiple meaning systems in working to tackle grand challenges.

 

Lamar Reinsch, Vanda Pauwels, and Clyde D. Neff, Lubbock Christian University, “The Ethical Lifestyle Model: A Progress Report”

The Ethical Lifestyle Model (ELM) is a tool for teaching business ethics. At some universities the business ethics course could be described as a selective history of philosophy, as a survey of behavioral research, or as a group discussion of ethical conundrums.  Our goal as teachers of business ethics is to help young people change their behavior for the better and to carry their improved moral behavior with them throughout their business careers. We believe that the ELM helps us to achieve this goal.

Speakers

Lamar Reinsch, Georgetown University, Convener

• Robert C. Tatum, University of North Carolina, Asheville, “To What End for Theology-Oriented Economic Policymaking?”
• Sarah Easter, Abilene Christian University, “Negotiating Meaning Systems in Cross Sector Partnerships to Tackle Grand Challenges: The Case of Homelessness”
• Lamar Reinsch, Vanda Pauwels, and Clyde D. Neff, Lubbock Christian University, “The Ethical Lifestyle Model: A Progress Report”