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Fall 2010

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 26, Number 1

Categories: Fall 2010 | Education

Economist as Pastor, Preacher, and Most Importantly, Theologian

Virgil Henry Storr, George Mason University

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TheJournalofPrivateEnterprise26(1),2010,13-20EconomistasPastor,Preacher,andMostImportantly,TheologianVirgilHenryStorrMercatusCenter,GeorgeMasonUniversityAbstractThisarticlearguesthatifweembraceaviewofreligionasacollectionoftheoriesabouttheworld(e.g.,aboutalertnessandentrepreneurship)andasetofvaluesabouthowweoughttoapproachouractivities(e.g.,valuefreedom),therearepotentiallypositiveaspectsofthinkingaboutAustrianeconomicsasareligion.And,ifAustrianeconomicsisareligion,thenProfessorPeterJosephBoettkeisthequintessentialpastor,preacher,andtheologianofAustrianeconomics.JELCodes:A11,A23Keywords:Economists’role;BoettkeI.IntroductionLikemanyAustrianeconomists,IhavealwaysbristledatthechargethatAustrianeconomicsismerelyareligion.First,thechargeisawayofdismissingratherthanengagingthesubstantivetheoreticalclaimsthatAustrianshavemade.ItisawayofignoringMises,Hayek,andothersonthecalculationandknowledgeproblemsinherentineffortstocentrallyplananeconomyandtodisregardtheirwarningsthatthereislikelyaslipperyslopetointerventionism.Itisawayofsuggesting,forinstance,thatAustrianbusinesscycletheorydoesnotexplain,say,thefinancialdownturnof2008,withouthavingtoreallyargueagainstit.Similarly,itisawayofassertingthattheAustriantheoriesthatpointtothepotentialofindividualstoimprovetheirlivesthroughmarketsareoverstatedwithoutactuallyhavingtoargueagainstthesubstanceofthosetheories.Second,thechargethatAustrianeconomicsisareligionisawayofsuggestingthatthereisorthereoughttobealitmustestforscholarsworkingwithinthisschoolofthought.ItisawayofsuggestingthatAustrianeconomicsisnotaprogressiveresearchprogrambutasetofreceivedandinfallibletruths.Itisawaytoassertthattheschoolisaboutblindfaithandtoavoidacknowledgingthatitisacollectionoflogicalarguments.Itisa13

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Title	Economist as Pastor, Preacher, and Most Importantly, Theologian
Authors/Creators:	Virgil Henry Storr, George Mason University
Year:	2010
Volume:	26
Number:	1
Pages:	13 - 20
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Academic strategy, Economic theory, Economists' role, Boettke, Austrian Economics, Religion

Citation:
Storr, Virgil Henry / 2010. "Economist as Pastor, Preacher, and Most Importantly, Theologian." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 26(1): 13-20.