In this episode, co-hosts Andrew Noble and Joel Jacob speak with Dr. Glenn Butner about the intersection of theology, economics, and moral formation. They discuss how markets function, the moral implications of economic systems, and the role of trust in transactions. The conversation emphasizes the need for Christians to engage thoughtfully with economic practices and the importance of understanding the complexities of market design. Butner's book, 'Work Out Your Salvation,' serves as a foundation for discussing how faith can inform economic behavior and moral formation.

Support WWJT on Patreon and receive a book! Must sign up before March 31st, 2025.

Buy Butner's book: https://www.amazon.com/Work-Out-Your-Salvation-Formation/dp/1506479413

Read Andrew's review: https://adfontesjournal.com/book-review/work-out-your-salvation-a-review/

Takeaways (AI Generated with Human Oversight):

• Markets are not just economic systems; they are technologies that shape our interactions and form who we are.
• Incentives can significantly alter behavior, sometimes in unexpected ways.
• Christian engagement with economics should be nuanced and informed by scripture.
• The church has a role in shaping economic practices and moral formation.
• A doctrine like Common Grace can help us make sense of how markets can form us in good ways.
• Understanding social sin is crucial in navigating market dynamics.
• Christians should analyze specific markets rather than endorse or condemn entire systems.
• Moral formation can occur outside the church through various societal interactions.
• Every individual has a responsibility to consider the ethical implications of their economic choices.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and We'll Send You A Book!

02:21 Understanding Markets and Moral Formation

06:46 The Impact of Incentives on Behavior

14:52 Theological Perspectives on Markets

23:32 Moral Formation in Secular Markets

28:02 Practical Takeaways?

40:47 Innovative Hiring Practices and Market Design

42:30 The Role of Markets in Social Justice

46:41 Moral Formation and Market Interaction

49:28 Conclusion and Reflections on Agency

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/YskwNchC

How do we navigate content creation in a digital age? We consider this today through the angle of institutions, like media organizations who are trying to spread good resources across varyingly helpful digital outlets.

Joining us is Caleb Wait. He is the Director of Content at Sola Media (the makers beyond multiple top Christian podcasts, including the White Horse Inn, Core Christianity, and Theo Global).

In Multiplying The Word we explore the whats, the whys, and the hows of digital marketing: living in the digital, but not of it.

Welcome to What Would Jesus Tech. A podcast devoted to imitating Jesus in a technological age. We believe deep thinking with biblical theology, courageous building of good technology, and rich reflection on what it means to be human. I am Andrew Noble, I am a Theology PhD Student with a background in AI, I'm joined by our two cohosts, Austin Gravely, Social Media Manager at The Gospel Coalition with a background in ministry and online marketing, and Joel Jacob, Principle Product Manager at Splunk with a background in Robotics, AI, and Engineering

Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Technology, particularly AI, poses a threat to the necessity of humanity. We see this in students using AI to bypass learning, self-driving vehicles replacing human drivers, AI competing with medical diagnosticians, and tablets which aim to replace traditional teaching methods. The question isn't hypothetical – these developments are already challenging human roles in education, transportation, healthcare, and beyond.

We don't just need to respond. We need a vision. We need direction. We need a New Technology Agenda that values the human person, and there is no value in persons if they have no place in families.

A couple weeks ago, Brad Littlejohn, Clare Morell, and a team of others published A Future for the Family: A New Technology Agenda for the Right. It includes ten principles designed to serve the family.

Add your name: https://afutureforthefamily.org/

The Ten Principles (the original New Agenda as published in First Things).

In today's episode, Andrew and Joel discuss this "New Agenda," how Christians working in technology could adopt it, and a way forward for a kind of limited dynamic innovation in North America.

0:00 - Preamble

2:08 - Intro to Brad and Clare

4:06 - The Principles

8:00 - The Government Against Innovation? For it? How?

17:53 - Children, AI, and Limits

32:33 - "I want to see more dynamic innovation" - Brad

34:20 - Implicitly Christian; Common Sense Values

38:39 - Specific Recommendations?

Other links:

Human Nature Isn't Enough By Brad Littlejohn

The Tech Exit by Clare Morell

Clare Morell's Substack

Brad Littlejohn's Substack

EPPC.org

What Would Jesus Tech is a listener-supported podcast. Support us and receive various perks (some early access to episodes and a bonus mini-episode each month). https://www.patreon.com/WWJT