Tag Archives: usury

Anti-Federalist Papers

The Structure of the Book Itself Overall it is hit and miss. Ketcham gives a VERY detailed review of the Constitutional Convention (180 pages).  If you have read The Federalist Papers then you can probably skip it.  He does provide … Continue reading

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Bonds of Imperfection (O’Donovan and O’Donovan)

O’Donovans, Oliver and Joan Lockwood. Bonds of Imperfection: Christian Politics Past and Present.  Eerdmans, 2007. I’ve read this book more than any other book over the past eleven years.  Each essays is a Master’s course in social ethics.  With all the … Continue reading

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Review: Morality after Calvin

Summers, Kirk.  Morality After Calvin.  New York: Oxford, 2017. Kirk Summers documents and illustrates the problems facing the Genevan church after Calvin’s death, as illustrated in Theodore Beza’s Cato. While Beza will defend natural law, he has no interest in constructing a … Continue reading

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A Primer on Hoffman’s *Usury in Christendom*

In addition to my longer review of Hoffman’s Usury in Christendom, I have this primer as well. The Argument Against Usury (1) God is the supreme owner of land and leases it to men (Hoffman 30). (2) The idea of just … Continue reading

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Usury in Christendom (Hoffman)

Hoffman’s broad thesis is that the Catholic church practically ceased viewing usury as a mortal sin due to clever re-phrasings of the law.  A corollary is that the Protestants did not begin usury (or capitalism).  Many Protestants opposed it, and … Continue reading

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