Dylan Pahman | Acton Institute (original) (raw)

Books by Dylan Pahman

Creative, quirky, and always winsome, Dylan Pahman builds a systematic case for a positive relati... more Creative, quirky, and always winsome, Dylan Pahman builds a systematic case for a positive relationship between a biblical understanding of the human person and the economic flourishing that freedom enables. His tour of scripture, philosophy, and economics mirrors the curriculum of the Acton Institute’s highly successful conferences. Free-market advocates will discover a sound theological groundwork and people of faith will learn how to speak “Economish” as they follow Pahman through this crash course in the principles of a free and virtuous society.

https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Virtuous-Society-Dylan-Pahman/dp/1942503547/

Rule of Faith, 2023

According to Vladimir Soloviev, “the first task of rational criticism relative to any error whats... more According to Vladimir Soloviev, “the first task of rational criticism relative to any error whatsoever is to define the truth which it adheres to and which it perverts.” Even if an Orthodox Christian is inclined to regard transhumanism as egregiously errant, reason demands that we first look for what truth it contains. Thus, in the first section of this paper I try to do that, offering an outline of the essential beliefs and goals of the movement via the work of Nicholas Bostrom in particular. In the second, I put this in dialogue with one of Soloviev’s essays on Nietzsche and the challenges he presents regarding evolution, technology, and death. Third, I look at Soloviev’s alternative conception of transhumanism and posthumanity in his work 'The Justification of the Good,' which rests upon the theological concepts of theosis (“deification”) and the kingdom of God, offering a mystical and moral alternative to the technological transhumanism of the contemporary movement, though still allowing for a positive role for technology. From Soloviev’s Orthodox Christian philosophical point of view, posthumanity is possible, just not as commonly conceived by transhumanists today. Finally, I conclude by reviewing areas of common ground between transhumanism and Orthodox theology and some challenges that endure. If there is to be more fruitful dialogue between Christian theology and transhumanism in the future, it would do well to begin with the morally- and mystically-grounded concept of posthumanity outlined herein.

Purchase the whole issue here: https://www.amazon.com/Rule-Faith-Journal-Orthodox-Basilian/dp/B0C6W1DP45

Rule of Faith Orthodox Journal, 2019

Personalist philosophy is generally understood to have emerged in the middle of the last century.... more Personalist philosophy is generally understood to have emerged in the middle of the last century. But an earlier antecedent of this important school of thought has been overlooked.

The goal of my essay is, in dialogue with Shadow of Constantine and Political Theologies, to demo... more The goal of my essay is, in dialogue with Shadow of Constantine and Political Theologies, to demonstrate that political theology needs political economy. I use the latter term, as did Lionel Robbins and the classical economists, to mean the normative and interdisciplinary application of the insights of economic science to questions of policy. As Frank Knight put it, “Without an adequate ethics and sociology in the broad sense, economics has little to say about policy.” In distinction from positive economics, political economy integrates the insights of political philosophy, sociology, and history together with economic analysis and makes no pretense about being value free. While welfare economics has been the preferred normative approach in recent years, classical political economy has continued in the works of many economists from a wide variety of schools within the discipline. It is far less quantitative and far more open to insights from other disciplines, making it a natural point of contact with political theology and Christian social thought. Examining the issues of economic inequality, the democratic nature of business and markets, and religious liberty, I argue that Orthodox and other political theologians need economics and political economy if they ever hope to step out from beneath Constantine’s shadow.

Dylan Pahman, "Review Essay: The Shadow of Constantine and Our Economic Life," Journal of Markets & Morality 20, no. 2 (Fall 2017): 311-323

Greek Orthodox Theological Review, 2016

This paper outlines a basic methodology for approaching economic issues from the perspective of O... more This paper outlines a basic methodology for approaching economic issues from the perspective of Orthodox theology. In the first section, I examine (1) the standard definition of economics and (2) the character of economics as a social science and its methodological differences from the physical sciences. In the second section, I examine the role of morality in economics. In the final section, (1) I draw upon Vladimir Lossky and St. Maximus the Confessor inter alia to develop an Orthodox approach to economics. Then (2) I offer four suggestions for interdisciplinary work between Orthodox theology and economics. In conclusion, I argue that both can benefit from one another: Positive economics needs ethics for normativity, and Orthodox theology needs economics for prudent application of spiritual and moral principles.

This paper was presented at "Ontology and History," the International Conference at the European ... more This paper was presented at "Ontology and History," the International Conference at the European Cultural Centre of Delphi, May 29-31, 2015 in Delphi, Greece (http://ontologyandhistory.wixsite.com/delphi). As I was unable to read even half of the content, I have posted the full draft here.

A shorter, revised version has been published. See Dylan Pahman, "Asceticism and Creative Destruction: On Ontology and Economic History," in Sotiris Mitralexis, ed., Mustard Seeds in the Public Square: Between and Beyond Theology, Philosophy, and Society (Wilmington, DE: Vernon Press, 2017), 139-163. The volume can be found here: https://vernonpress.com/title.php?id=246#.WOT49Ge1sdU.

ABSTRACT:
This paper builds upon my past work to develop more fully the ontology of asceticism and constructively explore parallel responses to that ontology in the study of history, economic history, and public policy. This paper consists of three parts: (1) Drawing upon the Church fathers, Vladimir Solovyov, Fr. Pavel Florensky, and Christos Yannaras, et al., I outline the ontological foundations of Christian asceticism, such as the pluriformity and mutability of the world and personal identity, human mortality, and the potential for growth as well as decay, i.e. for resurrection unto life or to second death, not only at the parousia but daily. In particular, the practice of memento mori is highlighted as one primary ascetic means of transfiguring the present reality of our corruption into resurrected life in the Spirit. (2) I bring this ontology and the Orthodox ascetic response to it into dialogue with Florovsky, Foucault, Nietzsche, and Acton et al., to develop an uniquely ascetic historical perspective. (3) I bring this historical vision to bear on the question of economic history, examining Marx and Engels, Schumpeter, and Nassim Nicholas Taleb et al. to develop from that history non-predictive policy, analogous to the memento mori and other ascetic practices, adapted to the reality of creative destruction and what Taleb calls Black Swans—random, unforeseen shocks that so often cripple fragile systems.

This paper examines the compatibility between ancient and modern, East and West, through a philos... more This paper examines the compatibility between ancient and modern, East and West, through a philosophical and theological analysis of asceticism. Drawing upon Hegel's dialectic of self-consciousness, I bring together Vladimir Solovyov's account of the ascetic principle in morality and Pavel Florensky's dynamic, non-essentialist understanding of personhood to argue that the logic of asceticism follows a dialectic of awareness -- denial -- transformation or, in Christian theological terms, life -- death -- resurrection. This modern perspective is then compared to and supplemented by Patristic accounts of the nature and goal of asceticism that generally rest upon Stoic axiology, (broadly) Neoplatonic metaphysics, and the specifically Christian themes of self-denial and divine grace. This synthesis of modern philosophical and ancient Christian understandings of asceticism is offered as an example of how, in this instance, such narratives of incompatibility are both unfounded and unhelpful. In addition, this dialectic of asceticism is offered as a paradigm for further study of asceticism in both theology and philosophy.

Dylan Pahman, "Alive from the Dead: Asceticism between Athens and Jerusalem, Ancient and Modern, East and West," St Vladimir's Theological Quarterly 60, no. 4 (2016): 489-504.

Art and asceticism are not often studied together. It is common to hear of the proverbial starvin... more Art and asceticism are not often studied together. It is common to hear of the proverbial starving artist, for example, but we have yet to hear of the proverbial fasting artist. That, we believe, is a shame. This paper argues that art and asceticism share a reciprocal relationship. Rightly understood, art ascetically shapes and is shaped by the person. Drawing upon Oscar Wilde, St. Basil the Great, and Sergei Bulgakov, among others, the first section of this paper argues for this point. Conversely, Christian asceticism, rightly understood, both reveals and produces beauty. In contrast to Nietzsche and Camus, and drawing upon Dionysius, Plotinus, and Pope St. Leo the Great, our second section argues that through daily dying and rising with Christ in Orthodox asceticism, Christians behold the beauty of God, become beautiful themselves, and are thus made able to rightly appreciate the divine origin of all that is beautiful in creation. We then briefly conclude with prospects for future research.

Samuel Granger and Dylan Pahman, "Art and the Art of Arts: On Aestheticism and Asceticism," in J. A. McGuckin, ed., Orthodoxy and the Sacred Arts, Sophia Studies in Orthodox Theology, vol. 10 (New York, NY: Theotokos Press, 2016), 215-227.

Christianity regards teaching as one of the most foundational and critically sustaining ministrie... more Christianity regards teaching as one of the most foundational and critically sustaining ministries of the Church. As a result, Christian education remains one of the largest and oldest continuously functioning educational systems in the world, comprising both formal day schools and higher education institutions as well as informal church study groups and parachurch ministries in more than 140 countries. In The Encyclopedia of Christian Education, contributors explore the many facets of Christian education in terms of its impact on curriculum, literacy, teacher training, outcomes, and professional standards. This encyclopedia is the first reference work devoted exclusively to chronicling the unique history of Christian education across the globe, illustrating how Christian educators pioneered such educational institutions and reforms as universal literacy, home schooling, Sunday schools, women’s education, graded schools, compulsory education of the deaf and blind, and kindergarten.

With an editorial advisory board of more than 30 distinguished scholars and five consulting editors, The Encyclopedia of Christian Education contains more than 1,200 entries by 400 contributors from 75 countries. These volumes covers a vast range of topics from Christian education:

History spanning from the church’s founding through the Middle Ages to the modern day
Denominational and institutional profiles
Intellectual traditions in Christian education
Biblical and theological frameworks, curricula, missions, adolescent and higher education, theological training, and Christian pedagogy
Biographies of distinguished Christian educators

This work is ideal for scholars of both the history of Christianity and education, as well as researchers and students of contemporary Christianity and modern religious education.

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780810884922/Encyclopedia-of-Christian-Education-3-Volumes

This work is ideal for scholars of both the history of Christianity and education, as well as researchers and students of contemporary Christianity and modern religious education.

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780810884922/Encyclopedia-of-Christian-Education-3-Volumes

This paper examines the connection between asceticism and martyrdom from a practical, historical,... more This paper examines the connection between asceticism and martyrdom from a practical, historical, and theoretical point of view. It is argued that from the very beginning, Christians practiced asceticism, and that this practice was an essential preparation for martyrdom. Martyrdom, in turn, served as an inspiration for asceticism. Thus, while red martyrdom can be seen as the culmination of Christian asceticism, all Christian asceticism ought to be seen as martyric, witnessing to the kingdom of God and the cross of Christ. As such, it is argued that other forms of asceticism can also be understood through the martyric lens, such as exile from one’s homeland—as was the case with many ancient Celts—and marriage. No matter where or in what circumstances Orthodox Christians live, then, they ought to embrace a martyric way of life through their asceticism. In the end, I conclude by briefly noting the martyric character of the Eucharist, which forms the center of the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church, thus reinforcing the thesis that martyrdom should be seen as the universal character of the Christian life and commending it is a still-vibrant paradigm for modern Orthodox Christian witness.

http://orthodox-theology.com/pages/issues/62-2015.php

Reacting to the failed revolution of 1905, the contributors to Vekhi (Russian for “Landmarks”), ... more Reacting to the failed revolution of 1905, the contributors to Vekhi (Russian for “Landmarks”), including Nicholai Berdiaev, Sergei Bulgakov, S. L. Frank, and four others, set out in 1909 to critique the young, Russian intelligentsia for their materialistic myopia in all realms of life. The intelligentsia had been impotent in Russia’s new, constitutional polity, revealing deeper ideological flaws. To Berdiaev, the intelligentsia scorned all true intellectuals, leaving their philosophy emaciated. Bulgakov critiqued them for replacing the ascetic saint—the traditional Russian ideal—with the revolutionary student and putting man in the place of Providence. Frank critiqued the utilitarianism of the intelligentsia as fundamentally nihilistic, leaving them with a negative view of spiritual and material wealth that prevented them from enriching the poor. Together, the Vekhi contributions amounted to a tour de force against the prevailing wisdom of a youthful, academic class increasingly and incurably enchanted by the promises of revolution, drawing the ire even of Vladimir Ilyin Lenin himself.
For a volume published in Russian, about Russian politics and cutlure, permeated with Russian philosophical and religious thought, it is somewhat surprising what a great deal of literature has been published on Vekhi in English alone. There are general overviews of the volume, analyses of the continuity and discontinuity among its contributors, as well as other literature that addresses Vekhi in the context of broader studies. Among the relevant literature, perhaps the studies of Horowitz, Murarka, Pipes, Poltoratzky, Schapiro, and Schatz and Zimmerman are most helpful for their clear summaries of the content, historical context, and reception. This essay seeks to make a modest contribution to that scholarship in examining the response of Berdiaev, Bulgakov, and Frank to the popular Marxism of the Russian intelligentsia at the time, examining Lenin’s response, and concluding with a reflection on Vekhi’s continuing, contemporary relevance.

The subject of liberty or freedom, while central to Orthodox Christian anthropology, does not com... more The subject of liberty or freedom, while central to Orthodox Christian anthropology, does not come up often in the context of social thought. This is partly because, frankly, there is so little contemporary Orthodox social thought (in English, at least), outside of Orthodox environmental theology. Nevertheless, beginning with the concepts of asceticism and theosis in the family, I argue that the Orthodox Tradition contains ample resources for a robust affirmation of religious, political, and economic freedom, with an eye toward the American context of ordered liberty.

This paper consists of two sections: the first offers an introductory, if incomplete, survey to t... more This paper consists of two sections: the first offers an introductory, if incomplete, survey to the history of markets and monasticism in the Christian East; the second offers a brief appraisal of this history and how it may condition the context of monastic teaching on wealth, work, business, and enterprise in the Orthodox Church. Ultimately, I demonstrate that the historical record reveals a positive view of enterprise as a means to serve others, supply one's needs, and build a surplus for charitable activity, as well as serving as a warning about the dangers of avarice and the exploitation of positions of privilege and power in the accumulation of wealth.

What makes a society? While this may seem like a simple question, the various ways in which diffe... more What makes a society? While this may seem like a simple question, the various ways in which different schools of Christian social thought answer it have wide-reaching ramifications for how one approaches any societal challenge. This essay seeks to offer a constructive, Orthodox Christian answer to the question and argues for its broader relevance to Christian social thought as a whole. I begin by very briefly surveying three other approaches, the Roman Catholic (subsidiarity), neo-Calvinist (sphere sovereignty), and the presocial or statist. Drawing upon Fr. Georges Florovsky' s definition of true asceticism, patristic biblical commentary and theology, and Vladimir Solovyov' s analysis of the ascetic nature of marriage in his work The Justification of the Good, I argue for asceticism as the Orthodox answer to the question, 'What makes a society?'

While recent documents from the Moscow Patriarchate such as The Basis of the Social Concept of th... more While recent documents from the Moscow Patriarchate such as The Basis of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church (BSC) in 2000 and The Russian Orthodox Church's Basic Teaching on Human Dignity, Freedom, and Rights (DFR) in 2008 by the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR) go a long way toward offering more stable social guidance, a basic framework for societal engagement in the West—such as subsidiarity and solidarity for Roman Catholics and sphere sovereignty and the antithesis for neo-Calvinists—remains nebulous and distant from the common consciousness of Orthodox Christians living in the Anglophone world today. With approximately one million Orthodox Christians in the United States alone (as of 2010), those who make their home in English-speaking countries urgently need such a framework to engage not only secular society but the societal paradigms of other churches as well. To that end, this essay endeavors to outline a fundamental paradigm for Orthodox Christian social thought, sensitive to areas of common ground with other Christian traditions dominant in the West. Following the six criteria of Marinus Ossewaarde's “Settling the ‘Social Question’” and constructively drawing from biblical, patristic, modern, and contemporary sources, I offer a uniquely Orthodox contribution to Christian social thought regarding the core societal principle, cosmology, anthropology, social organization, the meaning of law, and the aim of politics.

Abraham Kuyper by Dylan Pahman

Journal of Economics, Theology and Religion, 2024

This paper seeks to recast the English Christian socialist F. D. Maurice as a sort of "English Ku... more This paper seeks to recast the English Christian socialist F. D. Maurice as a sort of "English Kuyper," arguing that his sometimes-puzzling relationship to the first wave of English Christian socialism can be clarified by understanding all of his thought and action to be animated by his own "architectonic critique" of society. Conversely, this reading of Maurice helps us understand his influence on the Dutch Neo-Calvinist theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper, who cited and recommended Maurice's Social Morality. In particular, this paper explores common ground between the two figures in (1) their respective architectonic critiques of society, (2) their support for organized labor, and (3) their understanding of the social role of Christian education. In this light, the paper concludes with a consideration of private property and stewardship in both Maurice and Kuyper.

Dylan Pahman, "The English Kuyper and the Dutch Maurice," Journal of Economics, Theology and Religion 4 (2024): 18-39

Calvin Theological Journal, 2023

Despite numerous references to Kant and post-Kantian German philosophers, as well as moral theolo... more Despite numerous references to Kant and post-Kantian German philosophers, as well as moral theologians influenced by them, the Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) is rarely examined vis-à-vis his relation to early continental philosophy. While early readers, such as Van Til, generally evaluated this influence as negative, more recent readers do not make much of it, if they acknowledge it at all. This paper seeks to make headway in filling this relative lacuna in Kuyper scholarship by examining 1) the influence of Kant, Fichte, and Schleiermacher on Kuyper’s epistemology, then 2) that of Hegel, Schelling, von Harless, and Martensen on his social theory. It concludes by recommending these sources to Kuyper scholars as well as Kuyper to continental philosophers today.

Journal of Markets & Morality, 2020

This article argues that Kuyper’s philosophy of education, principally as outlined in his Encyclo... more This article argues that Kuyper’s philosophy of education, principally as outlined in his Encyclopedia of Sacred Theology, inter alia, undergirds his social theory and thus should inform our understanding of his social thought. In the first section, I briefly summarize Kuyper’s answer to a series of questions regarding the nature of science. In the second, I build upon Kuyper’s philosophy of education to examine his understanding of the nature and telos of Calvinist educational communities, universities in particular. I conclude by examining new avenues for future research.

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2018

This article examines the sphere of ethics in the thought of the Dutch Calvinist statesman and th... more This article examines the sphere of ethics in the thought of the Dutch Calvinist statesman and theologian Abraham Kuyper. The first section establishes that Kuyper did consider ethics to be a sphere and what he believed it to be. The second section uses this outline of the sphere of ethics to elucidate the relationship between ethics and the state for Kuyper. It teases out three theses in Kuyper’s work: (1) Ethics and the scope of the state stand in inverse (or negative) relationship. (2) Ethics and legal advancement stand in direct (or positive) relationship. (3) Ethics needs the state to help facilitate its own development throughout society. Taken together, I argue that the spheres of ethics and the state thus stand in mutually dependent (or reciprocal) relationship to, rather than “hermetically sealed off” from, one another.

https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Virtuous-Society-Dylan-Pahman/dp/1942503547/

Rule of Faith, 2023

Purchase the whole issue here: https://www.amazon.com/Rule-Faith-Journal-Orthodox-Basilian/dp/B0C6W1DP45

Rule of Faith Orthodox Journal, 2019

Dylan Pahman, "Review Essay: The Shadow of Constantine and Our Economic Life," Journal of Markets & Morality 20, no. 2 (Fall 2017): 311-323

Greek Orthodox Theological Review, 2016

Dylan Pahman, "Alive from the Dead: Asceticism between Athens and Jerusalem, Ancient and Modern, East and West," St Vladimir's Theological Quarterly 60, no. 4 (2016): 489-504.

This work is ideal for scholars of both the history of Christianity and education, as well as researchers and students of contemporary Christianity and modern religious education.

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780810884922/Encyclopedia-of-Christian-Education-3-Volumes

This work is ideal for scholars of both the history of Christianity and education, as well as researchers and students of contemporary Christianity and modern religious education.

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780810884922/Encyclopedia-of-Christian-Education-3-Volumes

http://orthodox-theology.com/pages/issues/62-2015.php

Journal of Economics, Theology and Religion, 2024

Dylan Pahman, "The English Kuyper and the Dutch Maurice," Journal of Economics, Theology and Religion 4 (2024): 18-39

Calvin Theological Journal, 2023

Journal of Markets & Morality, 2020

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2018

Faith & Economics, 2016

Modern economics is generally considered an entirely positive field of study, and the role of eth... more Modern economics is generally considered an entirely positive field of study, and the role of ethics and normative analysis is found to be irrelevant in contrast to facts and data. However, economics was once considered a portion of the broader field of political economy that evolved from the study of moral theology, and this origin is significant in understanding the extent to which normative analysis is appropriate in economics. Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper emphasizes the use of sphere sovereignty to explain the relationship between different academic disciplines, and his perspective is applicable to the discussion of the role of normative analysis in economics. Kuyper found that while each sphere of study is distinct, each sphere is essentially related to the spheres that it evolves from. This paper applies the theological perspective of Kuyper to the field of economics and compares and contrasts this point of view with modern scholarly opinion on the subject.

Dylan Pahman, “Toward a Kuyperian Political Economy: On the Relationship between Ethics and Economics,” Faith and Economics 67 (Spring 2016): 57–84

While Kuyper’s explicit references to F.W.J. Schelling tend to be negative, criticizing his panth... more While Kuyper’s explicit references to F.W.J. Schelling tend to be negative, criticizing his pantheistic tendencies, I argue that, nevertheless, the positive influence of Schelling, whether directly or indirectly, bears its mark upon Kuyper’s thought. Schelling believes that God (actuality) wills through love to reveal himself while the depths or darkness (potentiality/matter/nature) has a will of longing for existence. God reveals himself in the darkness, actualizing it as light. However, the darkness eventually wills to exist for itself as distinct from the light. From this arises the possibility of evil and therefore freedom, since for Schelling freedom requires a real choice between good and evil. Thus the darkness for itself gives birth to autonomous, personal spirit in man. But as pure potentiality it cannot actually exist except as light. If the darkness continues to exist for itself, it is only as a distortion of and antithesis to the light and tends toward corruption. Its fulfillment is found in freely subordinating itself to the light, suppressing the possibility of evil within itself through love. This, I argue, has a formal echo in Kuyper: art, for example, was first subordinate to the institutional Church. Sometime around the Reformation, art broke free to exist for its own sake as its own sovereign sphere. For Kuyper this is a good thing, a maturation of art, but it cannot continue to exist for its own sake without inevitably suffering corruption. Once autonomous, the sphere of art must subordinate itself to the sacred to be what it is truly meant to be or else degenerate in the antithesis. Replace “light” with “the sacred” and “the darkness” with “art,” and Schelling becomes Kuyper. This formal similarity, I argue, is too striking to be dismissed as merely coincidental.

Forthcoming in Gordan Graham, ed., The Kuyper Center Review, vol. 5: Church and Academy (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2015): 26-43.

http://www.eerdmans.com/Products/7245/the-kuyper-center-review-volume-five.aspx

Journal of Markets & Morality, 2023

This article demonstrates how salient characteristics of F. D. Maurice's Christian socialism reso... more This article demonstrates how salient characteristics of F. D. Maurice's Christian socialism resonate with his appreciation of Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Alexandria, and Augustine of Hippo. Maurice's understanding of the divine family of God that motivated his solidarity with the working classes resonates with his understanding of Ignatius. This solidarity drove him to Christian socialism, which he conceived as primarily an educational project in line with his reading of Clement. Ultimately, this extended to his mentorship of younger Christian socialists mirroring his appreciation for the early Augustine's philosophical pedagogy. These patristic motifs thus nuance and clarify Maurice's sometimes puzzling involvement with Christian socialism in Britain from 1848 to 1854.

Journal of Markets & Morality, 2020

It is a first principle for modern economics that people tend to make decisions based upon calcul... more It is a first principle for modern economics that people tend to make decisions based upon calculations of their self-interest. Thus, some critics believe they can topple the whole edifice of modern economics if this presumption is shown to be unsound. Other critics more friendly to the discipline have seen challenging self-interest as a revolutionary breakthrough. Indeed, Nobel laureates Amartya Sen, Richard Thaler, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, and Vernon Smith have all critiqued the presumption of self-interest in their work. This paper seeks to contribute to the philosophy of economics by both complicating and clarifying the topic.

Draft of paper presented (with Ian Maupin) at the 2018 Association for Private Enterprise Educati... more Draft of paper presented (with Ian Maupin) at the 2018 Association for Private Enterprise Education conference in Las Vegas, NV, April 1-4.

In his essay, “Competition as a Discovery Procedure,” Friedrich Hayek outlined his understanding ... more In his essay, “Competition as a Discovery Procedure,” Friedrich Hayek outlined his understanding of competition in markets as a decentralized means for uncovering new knowledge that could not otherwise be found. In the first section of this paper, I will unpack five dimensions of what it meant for Hayek to call competition a discovery procedure, viz. (1) a combination of skill and chance; (2) adjustment to negative feedback; (3) imperfect information as a condition and motivation of market activity; (4) the influence of change; and (5) the mechanism of competitive coercion or imitation. Having done so, in the second section I examine as a case study these same five dimensions in ancient Christian ascetic spirituality, primarily focusing on the desert fathers. I argue that competition served as a spiritual discovery principle, where the ascetics sought to “purchase,” in a sense, virtue from God, but at what “price” had to be discovered through experimentation and adjusted to changing social and individual circumstances. In this way, spiritual competition, while not fully comprehended by the concept, can be seen to reflect Hayek’s notion of market competition as a discovery procedure. Lastly, I conclude in my final section by exploring avenues in which such spiritual competition could be encouraged today to help apply the spiritual aspirations of the past to our present, modern contexts and societies.

While admitting the ultimate ambiguity of the question, this paper builds a cumulative case argui... more While admitting the ultimate ambiguity of the question, this paper builds a cumulative case arguing in favor of creatio ex nihilo in Justin Martyr. First, I briefly summarize Justin's own account of his conversion to Christianity as it has special significance for his relationship to the Greek philosophical schools. Then, I look at two philosophical considerations which raise further questions with regards to this issue in Justin. Next, I examine the historical context of the relationship between Hellenism, Second Temple Judaism, and Christianity as well as briefly considering the Catholic reaction to Hermogones' denial of creatio ex nihilo. Last, I offer an exegesis of the key passages in Justin, specifically focusing on First Apology 59 and 67 with special attention given to the possible interpretations of Justin's cryptic claim that God created the world by “transforming darkness and matter” (67.8). In light of my exegesis of these passages taken together with other important statements of Justin from his Dialogue with Trypho, and in light of the established philosophical and historical context, I argue that the best and most careful reading of Justin's doctrine of creation necessitates creatio ex nihilo.

In this paper, I contend that it is precisely the Stoic distinction between propatheia and pathos... more In this paper, I contend that it is precisely the Stoic distinction between propatheia and pathos which make the most sense of certain didactic passages of the New Testament (NT) that exhort Christians to take control of their emotions (especially James 1:2-3). My argument consists of three parts. In part one, I offer an exposition of the Stoic distinction between first-movements and emotions-as-judgments in order to demonstrate the proper understanding of Stoic apatheia. In part two, building on the research of Martin Hengel, David Winston, and Peder Borgen, et al., I argue that, in what one might call an ancient, inter-religious dialogue, much of Stoic ethical teaching had been assimilated into Hellenistic and Second-Temple Judaism even before the birth of the Christian Church and Scriptures. I argue that this backdrop gives warrant to reconsider the relevance of the Stoic theory of emotion in NT studies as well as justification for early Christian assimilation of Stoic ethics in general outside of the NT. Finally, in part three, I conclude by reexamining a select few didactic passages of the NT which presume that Christians are expected to exercise control over their emotions, demonstrating that a proper NT understanding of emotion should begin with the Stoics.

Journal of Markets & Morality, 2023

In his 2009 encyclical Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI highlighted the inadequacy of a soc... more In his 2009 encyclical Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI highlighted the inadequacy of a social imaginary that only includes the market and the state:

The exclusively binary model of market-plus-State is corrosive of society, while economic forms based on solidarity, which find their natural home in civil society without being restricted to it, build up society. The market of gratuitousness does not exist, and attitudes of gratuitousness cannot be established by law. Yet both the market and politics need individuals who are open to reciprocal gift.

How might we conceptualize these “economic forms” of “reciprocal gift” that reside in “civil society” and are “based on solidarity” but are neither market nor state? Friendship fits the bill.

Journal of Markets & Morality, 2023

The phrase "Christian Political Economy" comes from the historian of economics A. M. C. Waterman,... more The phrase "Christian Political Economy" comes from the historian of economics A. M. C. Waterman, and it specifically refers to Christians, often clergy such as Thomas Robert Malthus and Richard Whately, who, following in the footsteps of Adam Smith, were early practitioners of the new science of political economy from 1798 to 1833, specifically in Britain. Some, following Waterman, mark a "separation" after this period, in which the paths of Christian theology and economic science parted ways. Yet one might push back the date to the Revolution in Paris in 1848, illustrated on the cover of this issue with an anonymous painting of the burning of the throne of Louis-Philippe on February 24. The next generation of Christian social activists, again in Britain, would see renewed interest in Christian engagement with the economy, but this time through the likes of Christian socialists F. D. Maurice, J. M. Ludlow, and Charles Kingsley, whose Christian socialist brotherhood began in order to forestall in Britain the wave of revolution that swept across Europe from Paris in 1848.

Journal of Markets & Morality, 2022

How can something so unquantifiable, the value of a human life, be quantified? Yet in the last tw... more How can something so unquantifiable, the value of a human life, be quantified? Yet in the last two years it has not been hard to find contemporary, real-world applications of this problem due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dylan Pahman, "Editorial: How Much Is Too Much to Save a Life?" Journal of Markets & Morality 25, no. 2 (2022): 155-157

Journal of Markets & Morality, 2021

“All human societies face about the same problems,” claim David Friedman, Peter Leeson, and David... more “All human societies face about the same problems,” claim David Friedman, Peter Leeson, and David Skarbek in their fascinating and peculiar book Legal Systems Very Different from Ours. "They deal with them in an interesting variety of different ways. All of them are grownups-there is little reason to believe that the people who created the legal systems of Imperial China, Periclean Athens, or saga-period Iceland were any less intelligent than the creators of the US legal system. All of the systems should be taken seriously, each as one way in which a human society dealt with its legal problems." So also, we could add, their economic problems. In particular, those interested in Christian social and economic thought today might have more to learn than they would expect from Christian Rome and Byzantium.

Journal of Markets & Morality, 2021

After “a world of change” in this journal’s editorial staff over the last few years, I write now ... more After “a world of change” in this journal’s editorial staff over the last few years, I write now as its executive editor, succeeding friends and mentors in the honor of publishing the foremost scholarship on the morality of the marketplace, of faith and of freedom.

Journal of Markets & Morality, 2018

While journal practices vary from publication to publication, the Journal of Markets & Morality’s... more While journal practices vary from publication to publication, the Journal of Markets & Morality’s process will be representative enough to give a few rules of thumb, at least for the sort of qualitative research we typically publish. I write from my personal experience as managing editor with the hope of opening a window into what one example of the editorial process looks like, rather than simply surveying general trends. I hope this editorial will function as a primer in both the publishing process and good practices for academic authors.

The late Michael Novak, requiescat in pace, said that true callings are characterized by “[l]ong ... more The late Michael Novak, requiescat in pace, said that true callings are characterized by “[l]ong hours, frustrations, small steps forward, struggles: unless these too are welcomed with a certain joy, the claim to being called has a hollow ring.” It has been my joy these past six years to work through “[l]ong hours, frustrations, small steps forward, [and] struggles” as part of the editorial staff of this journal, accompanied by the leadership, mentorship, and friendship of Dr. Jordan Ballor.

Having accepted a position as postdoctoral researcher in theology and economics at the VU (Free University) Amsterdam as part of its “What Good Markets Are Good For” project, Jordan has stepped down as executive editor of the Journal of Markets & Morality. His tenure at this journal is not limited to his time as executive editor, but began with volume 7, issue 1 (Spring 2004), his first issue as associate editor. Over the years he oversaw theme issues, controversies, translations, digital content, and more. This journal is richer for his influence and poorer for his absence.

Dylan Pahman, "Editorial: The Editor as Steward," Journal of Markets & Morality 20, no. 2 (Fall 2017): 221-223

The economic idea of self-interest as the driving motivator of economic (and other) behavior is a... more The economic idea of self-interest as the driving motivator of economic (and other) behavior is as widely accepted by economists as it is criticized by others. The critics, generally, object to the assumption that “widespread and/or persistent human behavior can be explained by a generalized calculus of utility-maximizing behavior,” to quote George Stigler and Gary Becker. Is not that selfishness? And is not selfishness immoral? And do not people, at least sometimes, act morally? Furthermore, should not they be encouraged to act altruistically instead of only thinking of their own interests?

In reality, context complicates such moralisms.

In the light of the poor state of peer review ethics and etiquette, the editors of the Journal of... more In the light of the poor state of peer review ethics and etiquette, the editors of the Journal of Markets & Morality conceived the idea for this peer-review primer. In the course of research, we have also reevaluated and reaffirmed our policy of double-blind peer review for reasons to be detailed herein. Additionally, certain structural issues enable and can even encourage the poor etiquette in question as well as other issues of quality that have come to our attention. In light of all this, we have added a few procedures with the hope of achieving higher quality reviews, streamlining the review process for everyone involved, and discharging our editorial responsibility with regard to maintaining a cordial and professional academic environment.

Dylan Pahman, "Editorial: A Primer for Peer Review," Journal of Markets & Morality 17, no. 1 (2014): 1-7.

http://www.marketsandmorality.com/index.php/mandm/article/view/970

The Journal of Markets & Morality is a peer-reviewed academic journal published twice a year, pro... more The Journal of Markets & Morality is a peer-reviewed academic journal published twice a year, promoting intellectual exploration of the relationship between economics and morality from both social science and theological perspectives.

I began as assistant editor of the Spring 2011 issue (Vol. 14, no. 1).

From our Fall 2015 issue (Vol. 18, no. 2) to Vol. 23, no. 2 (2020), I served as managing editor.

Beginning with Vol. 24, no. 1, I am now executive editor.

http://www.marketsandmorality.com/index.php/mandm

Charles Malik’s Christ and Crisis is an invaluable guide for Christians who seek to engage our wo... more Charles Malik’s Christ and Crisis is an invaluable guide for Christians who seek to engage our world and come to terms with the challenges unique to the era they find themselves in. Each life, each unique historical situation presents its own crisis or set of crises. Today, we read of financial crises, the environmental crisis, the crisis of radical Islam, cultural crises, political crises, crises of identity, and many more. What Malik would tell us is that these are all spiritual crises, first and foremost. Thus, in this uniquely accessible and ecumenically sensitive book, Malik puts all of these concerns before the most profound crisis of all: the state of our own hearts before the cross of Jesus Christ, offering readers a helpful way of truly understanding the crises of our world today.

Despite the rapid increase in human flourishing since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, cri... more Despite the rapid increase in human flourishing since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, critics of the market economy insist that it leads inevitably to consumerism and other excesses of materialism. Those who make this indictment—including sociologists, political pundits, and religious leaders—also ignore how economic liberty has brought about one of the most remarkable achievements in human history: an 80 percent reduction in world poverty since 1970. The Cure for Consumerism examines popular prescriptions for addressing consumerism that range from simply consuming less to completely overhauling our economic system. In this lively and accessible book, Rev. Gregory Jensen synthesizes insights from the spiritual tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church with modern social science to craft a clear understanding of consumerism, to offer real solutions to the problems, and to put faith and economic freedom to work for both the common good and the kingdom of God.

Rooted in the Tradition of the Orthodox Church and its teaching on the relationship between God, ... more Rooted in the Tradition of the Orthodox Church and its teaching on the relationship between God, humanity, and all creation, Fr. Michael Butler and Prof. Andrew Morriss offer a new contribution to Orthodox environmental theology. Too often policy recommendations from theologians and Church authorities have taken the form of pontifications, obscuring many important economic and public policy realities. The authors establish a framework for responsible engagement with environmental issues undergirded not only by Church teaching but also by sound economic analysis. Creation and the Heart of Man uniquely takes the discussion of Orthodox environmental ethics from abstract principles to thoughtful interaction with the concrete, sensitive to the inviolability of human dignity, the plight of the poor, and our common destiny of communion with God.

https://shop.acton.org/creation-and-the-heart-of-man-an-orthodox-christian-perspective-on-environmentalism.html

Abraham Kuyper’s seminal three-volume work on the doctrine of common grace (De gemeene gratie) pr... more Abraham Kuyper’s seminal three-volume work on the doctrine of common grace (De gemeene gratie) presents a constructive public theology of cultural engagement rooted in the humanity Christians share with the rest of the world. Its author was a remarkable Dutch politician, journalist, educator, statesman, and Reformed theologian who wrote many works, but Common Grace is the capstone of his theology for the general public and the best available platform today to draw Christians back to biblical first principles and to guide the development of a winsome and constructive social witness. This complete, first-ever English translation is a companion to Christians seeking answers to questions about the breadth of the gospel, our roles in public life, cultural leadership, and the beneficial contributions of other people, especially in science and art.

This work gives us a much-needed opportunity to absorb Kuyper’s insights about God’s marvelous designs for human cultural life and to realize afresh how God’s mercies are over all his works. In volume 1, Kuyper traces his historical argument: Noah–Adam (part 1), Temptation–Babel (part 2), and Abraham–Parousia (part 3).

http://www.clpress.com/publications/common-grace-volume-1-part-1

A century ago when this book was first published, marriage and the family were already weathering... more A century ago when this book was first published, marriage and the family were already weathering enormous changes, and that trend has not abated. Yet by God’s power the unchanging essence of marriage and the family remains proof, as Bavinck notes, that God’s “purpose with the human race has not yet been achieved.”

Neither a ten-step guide nor a one-sided approach, this book embodies a Christian theology of marriage and the family. Accessible, thoroughly biblical, and astonishingly relevant, it offers a mature and concise handling of the origins of marriage and family life and the effects of sin on these institutions, an appraisal of historic Christian approaches, and an attempt to apply that theology.

Aptly reminding Christians that “the moral health of society depends on the health of family life,” Bavinck issues an evergreen challenge to God’s people: “Christians may not permit their conduct to be determined by the spirit of the age, but must focus on the requirement of God’s commandment.”

https://shop.acton.org/products/the-christian-family

Wisdom & Wonder: Common Grace in Science & Art is a new and complete translation of two sections ... more Wisdom & Wonder: Common Grace in Science & Art is a new and complete translation of two sections that the Dutch Reformed theologian and politician Abraham Kuyper intended for his larger three-volume work on common grace. During his life Kuyper labored tirelessly, publishing two newspapers, leading a reform movement out of the state church, founding the Free University of Amsterdam, and serving as Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Popular in our time for his devotional work, Kuyper’s Wisdom & Wonder displays his talents as a public theologian, focusing on his comprehensive and Reformed vision of science and art, still relevant for Christians today.

http://www.clpress.com/publications/wisdom-wonder

In this treatise we find an insightful analysis concerning how monetary debasement and inflation ... more In this treatise we find an insightful analysis concerning how monetary debasement and inflation increase prices, which proceeds to illustrate how such increases do not affect everyone equally—in effect, causing a revolution in fortunes. In a parallel argument, Mariana explains how government, if given control of other forms of private property, would also debase the values of those forms and use them according to its own interests.

http://www.clpress.com/publications/treatise-alteration-money

Scholars interested in exploring the possibility of "Mere Christian Social Thought" are welcome t... more Scholars interested in exploring the possibility of "Mere Christian Social Thought" are welcome to submit 50-100 word proposals by June 10, 2024. For more details, see the full CFP here.

Dylan Pahman | Acton Institute (original) (raw)

Books by Dylan Pahman

Orthodox Christian Social Thought by Dylan Pahman

Abraham Kuyper by Dylan Pahman