business ethics in biblical perspective by michael e. cafferky - excerpt
TRANSCRIPT
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 127
A Comprehensive Introduction
Michael E Cafferky Author of Management A Faith-based Perspective
BUSINESS ETHICSIN BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 227
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 327
BUSINESS ETHICSIN BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
A Comprehensive Introduction
Michael E Cafferky
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 427
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094
ivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983093 by Michael E Cafferky
All rights reserved No part o this book may be reproduced in any orm without written permission rom InterVarsity Press
InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division o InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement o students and
aculty active on campus at hundreds o universities colleges and schools o nursing in the United States o America and a
member movement o the International Fellowship o Evangelical Students For inormation about local and regional activities
visit intervarsityorg
All Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken rom the New American Standard Biblereg copyright 983089983097983094983088 983089983097983094983090
983089983097983094983091 983089983097983094983096 983089983097983095983089 983089983097983095983090 983089983097983095983091 983089983097983095983093 983089983097983095983095 983089983097983097983093 by Te Lockman Foundation Used by permission
Cover design Cindy Kiple
Interior design Beth McGill
Images Raw Paw GraphicsGetty Images
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983090983092983095983092-983096 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983096983094983094-983092 (digital)
Printed in the United States o America
As a member o the Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment and to theresponsible use o natural resources o learn more visit greenpressinitiativeorg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataCafferky Michael E
Business ethics in biblical perspective a comprehensive introduction Michael E Cafferky
pages cm
Includes bibliographical reerences and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983090983092983095983092-983096 (casebound alk paper)
983089 Business ethicsmdashBiblical teaching 983090 BusinessmdashBiblical teaching 983091 ManagementmdashReligious aspectsmdashChristianity
983092 Ethics in the Bible I itle
BS983094983096983088B983096C983091983092 983090983088983089983093
983090983092983089rsquo983094983092983092mdashdc983090983091
983090983088983089983093983088983089983096983095983093983091
P 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983095 983091983094 983091983093 983091983092 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 527
Contents
Preace 983097
Acknowledgments 983089983092
Outline o the Book 983089983093
General Introduction 983089983097
P983137983154983156 I T983144983141 F983157983150983140983137983149983141983150983156983137983148983155
Chapter 983089 Why Ethics in Business Is Important 983092983089
Chapter 983090 Fundamental ensions in the Environment o Business 983093983097
Chapter 983091 Biblical hemes or Business EthicsmdashPart 983089 983096983088
Chapter 983092 Biblical hemes or Business EthicsmdashPart 983090 983097983093
P983137983154983156 II C983151983150983156983141983149983152983151983154983137983154983161 A983152983152983154983151983137983139983144983141983155
Chapter 983093 Egoism 983089983089983093
Chapter 983094 Relativism 983089983090983096
Chapter 983095 Common Sense 983089983092983088
Chapter 983096 Social Contract 983089983093983091
Chapter 983097 Utilitarianism 983089983094983095
Chapter 983089983088 Universalism 983089983096983089
Chapter 983089983089 Agency 983089983097983094
Chapter 983089983090 Justice and Rights 983090983089983089
Chapter 983089983091 Virtues and Character 983090983090983094
P983137983154983156 III C983151983150983156983141983149983152983151983154983137983154983161 I983155983155983157983141983155
Chapter 983089983092 Ethical Issues in Consumer Behavior 983090983092983089
Chapter 983089983093 Ethical Issues in Management 983090983093983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 627
Chapter 983089983094 Ethical Issues in Accounting and Finance 983090983095983092
Chapter 983089983095 Ethical Issues in Marketing 983090983096983096
Chapter 983089983096 Ethical Issues in Global Business 983091983088983092
P983137983154983156 IV W983145983140983141983150983145983150983143 983156983144983141 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Chapter 983089983097 Corporate Responsibility 983091983090983091
Chapter 983090983088 Evaluating the Morality o Political-Economic Systems 983091983092983089
Chapter 983090983089 Moral Muteness and Pressure to Compromise 983091983093983094
P983137983154983156 V A983152983152983141983150983140983145983160983141983155 983137983150983140 C983137983155983141 S983156983157983140983145983141983155
Appendix A Key Questions rom the Biblical hemes 983091983094983097
Appendix B Scriptural Basis or the Biblical hemes 983091983095983089
Appendix C Biblical hemes Summary ables 983091983095983091
Appendix D en Principles or Flourishing 983091983095983097
Appendix E Summary o Ethical Models in Comparison 983091983096983092
Appendix F he Purpose o Business hrough the Lens o Biblical hemes 983091983096983096
Appendix G Ethical and Social Issue Debate opics 983091983097983096
Appendix H Prosperity in the Bible Q amp A Bible Study 983092983088983092
Case Studies 983092983089983088
Notes 983092983091983093
Subject Index 983092983096983091
About the Author 983092983096983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 727
General Introduction
Fig I1 The biblical story themes
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the Lord
And in His law he meditates day and
nightHe will be like a tree firmly planted by
streams o water
Which yields its ruit in its season
And its lea does not wither
And in whatever he does he prospers
(Ps 10486251048625-1048627)1
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
In this chapter we introduce the concept o
biblical story themes that are guides to ethicalthinking and action in the marketplace In par-
ticular we will
Cosmic Conflict Between God and Satan
Holiness
Creation
Covenant
Shalom
Sabbath
Wisdom
Truth
Righteousness
Loving Kindness
Redemption
Justice
Jesus Christ
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 827
10486261048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull contrast the contemporary view on the
ethics process with a biblical perspective
bull consider the biblical idea o the heart and
how this is related to making decisions re-garding right and wrong
bull introduce the biblical model o the ethics
process as seen rom the point o view o the
person
bull consider the biblical model o the ethics
process rom the point o view o the com-
munity
bull begin practicing the intrapersonal processand the interpersonal process
bull introduce the value o biblical themes and
how they were selected
MAIN TOPICS
Contemporary Business Ethics Process
and Content
Te Perspective o Tis Book Biblical Perspective on Faith
Ethics and the Heart
Te Personal Perspective
Te Community (Social Group) Per-
spective
Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Te Current Crisis
Te Value o Biblical Story Temes
How the Temes Were Selected
KEY TERMS
biblical ethics process community perspective
aith heart interpersonal intrapersonal per-
sonal perspective story themes
OPENING SCENARIOS
In this book we will consider scores o sce-narios rom the world o business Tese will
provide us with many opportunities to think
and talk about business rom a biblical per-
spective Some situations in business are rela-
tively simple We know what is right and
wrong Other situations are more complicatedLetrsquos start with two short scenarios that illus-
trate this point
Scenario A A group o persons skilled in
the creation and use o technology install
secret video cameras at automatic teller ma-
chines (AMs) and gasoline uel pumps or
the purpose o recording account inormation
and PINs that customers use to access unds
in their bank accounts2 Tey combine thiswith the technology to create ake bank cards
which are then used to take money rom the
bank accounts o unsuspecting bank cus-
tomers Is what these sophisticated operators
are doing wrong
Scenario B You move into a new apartment
Te first night you are there you open your
laptop computer and wonder o wonders
your computer detects an unsecured WiFi
available nearby Te WiFi is called JasonC
Te signal strength is medium in your living
room But i you sit in a chair acing the wall
between the stove and the rerigerator the
WiFi signal strength goes up Te next
morning on your way out to work you meet
one o the other tenants in the apartment
building He introduces himsel to you asJason C You immediately think about the
name o the unsecured WiFi you ound last
night You decide not to say anything about
the WiFi signal to Jason right now Is it wrong
to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFi signal to access
the Internet without permission
What to do in Scenario A is what we might
call straightorward Most people will say that
it is clearly and utterly wrong to use someoneelsersquos bank account inormation Furthermore
it is wrong to create ake bank cards and use
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 927
General Introduction 10486261048625
these to steal rom other peoplersquos bank accounts
What to do in Scenario B is not quite as
simple to determine compared with Scenario
A It is a little more complicated though youmight have an initial eeling about what is right
or wrong First is the issue o what is being
stolen i anything Has Jason lost anything o
value as a result o your use o his WiFi con-
nection Has the Internet provider lost any-
thing o value (lost revenue) Ten there is the
issue o who has the responsibility to protect
access to the Internet I Jason or the Internet
service provider does not secure his Internetconnection does this give you permission to
jump on his router and sur the web without
permission Is this an issue o invasion o
privacy or thef or both or neither I you
jump on his WiFi connection but do not hack
into Jasonrsquos system are you invading his
privacy Does it matter whether you live with
Jason sharing a room in his apartment or live
next door to Jason in a different apartment
Would it matter i you are merely logging on to
check email once in a while versus using Ja-
sonrsquos connection to run an e-business out o
your apartment What is the central issue Is
this an ethics issue or is it merely a question o
neighborhood courtesy
While you contemplate the questions re-
lating to Scenario B consider this Decidingwhat to do in these two scenarios depends on
your perspective Tus it is with the issue o
perspective that we start this book
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
ETHICS PROCESS AND CONTENT
With some exceptions the contemporary
business ethics process is ofen seen through
intrapersonal rational or cognitive dimen-sions3 Te process begins when a person en-
counters a situation in which an ethical choice
must be made or when ethical issues are
present that require a social response Te
person first tries to understand the moral
standards that can be used to think throughthe issues Moral standards are viewed as per-
sonal and person-specific o resolve the act
that there are personal differences in the
moral standards the person will employ the
ollowing process steps
bull Recognize the moral impact Consequen-
tialism or perceptions o social expectations
orm the basis or the analysis at this and
later stages o the process At this point the
person considers the benefits and harms
the rights and the wrongs that result rom a
particular action Te expected reactions o
others may be considered
bull State the moral problem in such a way that it
persuades others to see the ethical issues in
the same way Tis step is ofen implied but
how and when the attempt to persuade isseldom discussed
bull Determine the economic outcomes balancing
the net good outcomes with the net bad out-
comes in order to achieve the optimum
result Here the utilitarian posture which
we will explore later is hard to miss
bull Consider the legal requirements Laws are
ormal and specific expressions o social ex-pectations In addition society expects its
citizens to obey the law At this step the legal
requirements are rationally analyzed
bull Evaluate the ethical duties At this point the
person will consider some o the content that
has traditionally ormed the smorgasbord o
duties rom which to choose as the situation
seems to indicate Included in this list may be
religious belies which are placed alongside
virtues utilitarianism the duty to use reason
and avoid contradictions justice and rights
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1027
10486261048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
As with the other steps in the process this is
dominated by rational cognitive activity ac-
complished by the person
A ew observations can be made about thisFirst popular contemporary approaches or
most business ethics thinkers are dominated
by the rational cognitive activity o the person
Te social context is not wholly ignored
however it tends to be de-emphasized in avor
o the individual cognitive activity At times
this cognitive activity engages others through
dialogue or debate and in so doing becomes
somewhat political It is cognitive in that the
analysis and decision making occurs primarily
in the mind o each person It becomes po-
litical when as each person ollows the ana-
lytical steps he or she realizes that differences
o opinion exist Each attempts to persuade the
others o the validity o his or her point o view
Tis persuasion is seen as primarily a meeting
o rational minds but each at least potentially
that comes rom a different starting point
From such dialogue a way through the differ-
ences is then negotiated It is with this typical
contemporary individual cognitive approach
that this book is in contrast
Second not all contemporary approaches are
this cut and dried as portrayed here in the steps
o the process Some contemporary approaches
emphasize virtues Others such as egoism em-phasize what the person desires to achieve
placing this above other concerns Others such
as relativism and the social contract emphasize
social expectations Even when the various ap-
proaches are considered the rational cognitive
dimensions tend to dominate
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK
Te goal o the book is to help you understand
a biblical perspective so that you can make an
inormed decision as to what degree this per-
spective is plausible deensible and practical in
the contemporary market A related goal is to
provide a setting in which you can think care-
ully about your preerred ethical approach andin the process make a commitment o the heart
to an approach which you believe to be best
Another goal is to provide a ramework that
you can begin practicing now Tis is not just a
book about theory It helps you take the first
steps o practice in a social setting
Some o the ethical issues that companies
and their managers ace are relatively straight-
orward What is right or wrong may seem ob- vious With ew exceptions the ethical ap-
proaches described in the book will all lead to
the same conclusion Do not lie cheat or steal
However as you will see some o the ethical
dilemmas that businesses ace are more com-
plicated It is with these more complicated
problems and dilemmas where the ethical per-
spective you believe is best will be tested
Some ethical decision-making approaches
are easier than others Some ocus on a limited
set o issues because the definition o what
constitutes justice or rights is simple As we
will see or example egoism tends to ocus on
the interests o the person Utilitarianism at-
tempts to counteract the shortcomings o
egoism by placing all relevant stakeholders in
the same status with respect to moralsWe use the term process to reer to the intra-
personal (within the person) and interpersonal
(between persons) activities which lead to a de-
cision or action or the action itsel A process
can be thought o as a sequence o action steps
that a person takes to accomplish a task When
aced with an ethical choice the task is to decide
and act on the question What is the right thing
to do in this situation You will be giventhrough reasoning and discussions with others
a chance to test these approaches on more com-
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 227
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 327
BUSINESS ETHICSIN BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
A Comprehensive Introduction
Michael E Cafferky
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 427
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094
ivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983093 by Michael E Cafferky
All rights reserved No part o this book may be reproduced in any orm without written permission rom InterVarsity Press
InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division o InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement o students and
aculty active on campus at hundreds o universities colleges and schools o nursing in the United States o America and a
member movement o the International Fellowship o Evangelical Students For inormation about local and regional activities
visit intervarsityorg
All Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken rom the New American Standard Biblereg copyright 983089983097983094983088 983089983097983094983090
983089983097983094983091 983089983097983094983096 983089983097983095983089 983089983097983095983090 983089983097983095983091 983089983097983095983093 983089983097983095983095 983089983097983097983093 by Te Lockman Foundation Used by permission
Cover design Cindy Kiple
Interior design Beth McGill
Images Raw Paw GraphicsGetty Images
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983090983092983095983092-983096 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983096983094983094-983092 (digital)
Printed in the United States o America
As a member o the Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment and to theresponsible use o natural resources o learn more visit greenpressinitiativeorg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataCafferky Michael E
Business ethics in biblical perspective a comprehensive introduction Michael E Cafferky
pages cm
Includes bibliographical reerences and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983090983092983095983092-983096 (casebound alk paper)
983089 Business ethicsmdashBiblical teaching 983090 BusinessmdashBiblical teaching 983091 ManagementmdashReligious aspectsmdashChristianity
983092 Ethics in the Bible I itle
BS983094983096983088B983096C983091983092 983090983088983089983093
983090983092983089rsquo983094983092983092mdashdc983090983091
983090983088983089983093983088983089983096983095983093983091
P 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983095 983091983094 983091983093 983091983092 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 527
Contents
Preace 983097
Acknowledgments 983089983092
Outline o the Book 983089983093
General Introduction 983089983097
P983137983154983156 I T983144983141 F983157983150983140983137983149983141983150983156983137983148983155
Chapter 983089 Why Ethics in Business Is Important 983092983089
Chapter 983090 Fundamental ensions in the Environment o Business 983093983097
Chapter 983091 Biblical hemes or Business EthicsmdashPart 983089 983096983088
Chapter 983092 Biblical hemes or Business EthicsmdashPart 983090 983097983093
P983137983154983156 II C983151983150983156983141983149983152983151983154983137983154983161 A983152983152983154983151983137983139983144983141983155
Chapter 983093 Egoism 983089983089983093
Chapter 983094 Relativism 983089983090983096
Chapter 983095 Common Sense 983089983092983088
Chapter 983096 Social Contract 983089983093983091
Chapter 983097 Utilitarianism 983089983094983095
Chapter 983089983088 Universalism 983089983096983089
Chapter 983089983089 Agency 983089983097983094
Chapter 983089983090 Justice and Rights 983090983089983089
Chapter 983089983091 Virtues and Character 983090983090983094
P983137983154983156 III C983151983150983156983141983149983152983151983154983137983154983161 I983155983155983157983141983155
Chapter 983089983092 Ethical Issues in Consumer Behavior 983090983092983089
Chapter 983089983093 Ethical Issues in Management 983090983093983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 627
Chapter 983089983094 Ethical Issues in Accounting and Finance 983090983095983092
Chapter 983089983095 Ethical Issues in Marketing 983090983096983096
Chapter 983089983096 Ethical Issues in Global Business 983091983088983092
P983137983154983156 IV W983145983140983141983150983145983150983143 983156983144983141 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Chapter 983089983097 Corporate Responsibility 983091983090983091
Chapter 983090983088 Evaluating the Morality o Political-Economic Systems 983091983092983089
Chapter 983090983089 Moral Muteness and Pressure to Compromise 983091983093983094
P983137983154983156 V A983152983152983141983150983140983145983160983141983155 983137983150983140 C983137983155983141 S983156983157983140983145983141983155
Appendix A Key Questions rom the Biblical hemes 983091983094983097
Appendix B Scriptural Basis or the Biblical hemes 983091983095983089
Appendix C Biblical hemes Summary ables 983091983095983091
Appendix D en Principles or Flourishing 983091983095983097
Appendix E Summary o Ethical Models in Comparison 983091983096983092
Appendix F he Purpose o Business hrough the Lens o Biblical hemes 983091983096983096
Appendix G Ethical and Social Issue Debate opics 983091983097983096
Appendix H Prosperity in the Bible Q amp A Bible Study 983092983088983092
Case Studies 983092983089983088
Notes 983092983091983093
Subject Index 983092983096983091
About the Author 983092983096983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 727
General Introduction
Fig I1 The biblical story themes
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the Lord
And in His law he meditates day and
nightHe will be like a tree firmly planted by
streams o water
Which yields its ruit in its season
And its lea does not wither
And in whatever he does he prospers
(Ps 10486251048625-1048627)1
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
In this chapter we introduce the concept o
biblical story themes that are guides to ethicalthinking and action in the marketplace In par-
ticular we will
Cosmic Conflict Between God and Satan
Holiness
Creation
Covenant
Shalom
Sabbath
Wisdom
Truth
Righteousness
Loving Kindness
Redemption
Justice
Jesus Christ
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 827
10486261048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull contrast the contemporary view on the
ethics process with a biblical perspective
bull consider the biblical idea o the heart and
how this is related to making decisions re-garding right and wrong
bull introduce the biblical model o the ethics
process as seen rom the point o view o the
person
bull consider the biblical model o the ethics
process rom the point o view o the com-
munity
bull begin practicing the intrapersonal processand the interpersonal process
bull introduce the value o biblical themes and
how they were selected
MAIN TOPICS
Contemporary Business Ethics Process
and Content
Te Perspective o Tis Book Biblical Perspective on Faith
Ethics and the Heart
Te Personal Perspective
Te Community (Social Group) Per-
spective
Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Te Current Crisis
Te Value o Biblical Story Temes
How the Temes Were Selected
KEY TERMS
biblical ethics process community perspective
aith heart interpersonal intrapersonal per-
sonal perspective story themes
OPENING SCENARIOS
In this book we will consider scores o sce-narios rom the world o business Tese will
provide us with many opportunities to think
and talk about business rom a biblical per-
spective Some situations in business are rela-
tively simple We know what is right and
wrong Other situations are more complicatedLetrsquos start with two short scenarios that illus-
trate this point
Scenario A A group o persons skilled in
the creation and use o technology install
secret video cameras at automatic teller ma-
chines (AMs) and gasoline uel pumps or
the purpose o recording account inormation
and PINs that customers use to access unds
in their bank accounts2 Tey combine thiswith the technology to create ake bank cards
which are then used to take money rom the
bank accounts o unsuspecting bank cus-
tomers Is what these sophisticated operators
are doing wrong
Scenario B You move into a new apartment
Te first night you are there you open your
laptop computer and wonder o wonders
your computer detects an unsecured WiFi
available nearby Te WiFi is called JasonC
Te signal strength is medium in your living
room But i you sit in a chair acing the wall
between the stove and the rerigerator the
WiFi signal strength goes up Te next
morning on your way out to work you meet
one o the other tenants in the apartment
building He introduces himsel to you asJason C You immediately think about the
name o the unsecured WiFi you ound last
night You decide not to say anything about
the WiFi signal to Jason right now Is it wrong
to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFi signal to access
the Internet without permission
What to do in Scenario A is what we might
call straightorward Most people will say that
it is clearly and utterly wrong to use someoneelsersquos bank account inormation Furthermore
it is wrong to create ake bank cards and use
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 927
General Introduction 10486261048625
these to steal rom other peoplersquos bank accounts
What to do in Scenario B is not quite as
simple to determine compared with Scenario
A It is a little more complicated though youmight have an initial eeling about what is right
or wrong First is the issue o what is being
stolen i anything Has Jason lost anything o
value as a result o your use o his WiFi con-
nection Has the Internet provider lost any-
thing o value (lost revenue) Ten there is the
issue o who has the responsibility to protect
access to the Internet I Jason or the Internet
service provider does not secure his Internetconnection does this give you permission to
jump on his router and sur the web without
permission Is this an issue o invasion o
privacy or thef or both or neither I you
jump on his WiFi connection but do not hack
into Jasonrsquos system are you invading his
privacy Does it matter whether you live with
Jason sharing a room in his apartment or live
next door to Jason in a different apartment
Would it matter i you are merely logging on to
check email once in a while versus using Ja-
sonrsquos connection to run an e-business out o
your apartment What is the central issue Is
this an ethics issue or is it merely a question o
neighborhood courtesy
While you contemplate the questions re-
lating to Scenario B consider this Decidingwhat to do in these two scenarios depends on
your perspective Tus it is with the issue o
perspective that we start this book
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
ETHICS PROCESS AND CONTENT
With some exceptions the contemporary
business ethics process is ofen seen through
intrapersonal rational or cognitive dimen-sions3 Te process begins when a person en-
counters a situation in which an ethical choice
must be made or when ethical issues are
present that require a social response Te
person first tries to understand the moral
standards that can be used to think throughthe issues Moral standards are viewed as per-
sonal and person-specific o resolve the act
that there are personal differences in the
moral standards the person will employ the
ollowing process steps
bull Recognize the moral impact Consequen-
tialism or perceptions o social expectations
orm the basis or the analysis at this and
later stages o the process At this point the
person considers the benefits and harms
the rights and the wrongs that result rom a
particular action Te expected reactions o
others may be considered
bull State the moral problem in such a way that it
persuades others to see the ethical issues in
the same way Tis step is ofen implied but
how and when the attempt to persuade isseldom discussed
bull Determine the economic outcomes balancing
the net good outcomes with the net bad out-
comes in order to achieve the optimum
result Here the utilitarian posture which
we will explore later is hard to miss
bull Consider the legal requirements Laws are
ormal and specific expressions o social ex-pectations In addition society expects its
citizens to obey the law At this step the legal
requirements are rationally analyzed
bull Evaluate the ethical duties At this point the
person will consider some o the content that
has traditionally ormed the smorgasbord o
duties rom which to choose as the situation
seems to indicate Included in this list may be
religious belies which are placed alongside
virtues utilitarianism the duty to use reason
and avoid contradictions justice and rights
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1027
10486261048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
As with the other steps in the process this is
dominated by rational cognitive activity ac-
complished by the person
A ew observations can be made about thisFirst popular contemporary approaches or
most business ethics thinkers are dominated
by the rational cognitive activity o the person
Te social context is not wholly ignored
however it tends to be de-emphasized in avor
o the individual cognitive activity At times
this cognitive activity engages others through
dialogue or debate and in so doing becomes
somewhat political It is cognitive in that the
analysis and decision making occurs primarily
in the mind o each person It becomes po-
litical when as each person ollows the ana-
lytical steps he or she realizes that differences
o opinion exist Each attempts to persuade the
others o the validity o his or her point o view
Tis persuasion is seen as primarily a meeting
o rational minds but each at least potentially
that comes rom a different starting point
From such dialogue a way through the differ-
ences is then negotiated It is with this typical
contemporary individual cognitive approach
that this book is in contrast
Second not all contemporary approaches are
this cut and dried as portrayed here in the steps
o the process Some contemporary approaches
emphasize virtues Others such as egoism em-phasize what the person desires to achieve
placing this above other concerns Others such
as relativism and the social contract emphasize
social expectations Even when the various ap-
proaches are considered the rational cognitive
dimensions tend to dominate
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK
Te goal o the book is to help you understand
a biblical perspective so that you can make an
inormed decision as to what degree this per-
spective is plausible deensible and practical in
the contemporary market A related goal is to
provide a setting in which you can think care-
ully about your preerred ethical approach andin the process make a commitment o the heart
to an approach which you believe to be best
Another goal is to provide a ramework that
you can begin practicing now Tis is not just a
book about theory It helps you take the first
steps o practice in a social setting
Some o the ethical issues that companies
and their managers ace are relatively straight-
orward What is right or wrong may seem ob- vious With ew exceptions the ethical ap-
proaches described in the book will all lead to
the same conclusion Do not lie cheat or steal
However as you will see some o the ethical
dilemmas that businesses ace are more com-
plicated It is with these more complicated
problems and dilemmas where the ethical per-
spective you believe is best will be tested
Some ethical decision-making approaches
are easier than others Some ocus on a limited
set o issues because the definition o what
constitutes justice or rights is simple As we
will see or example egoism tends to ocus on
the interests o the person Utilitarianism at-
tempts to counteract the shortcomings o
egoism by placing all relevant stakeholders in
the same status with respect to moralsWe use the term process to reer to the intra-
personal (within the person) and interpersonal
(between persons) activities which lead to a de-
cision or action or the action itsel A process
can be thought o as a sequence o action steps
that a person takes to accomplish a task When
aced with an ethical choice the task is to decide
and act on the question What is the right thing
to do in this situation You will be giventhrough reasoning and discussions with others
a chance to test these approaches on more com-
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 327
BUSINESS ETHICSIN BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
A Comprehensive Introduction
Michael E Cafferky
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 427
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094
ivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983093 by Michael E Cafferky
All rights reserved No part o this book may be reproduced in any orm without written permission rom InterVarsity Press
InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division o InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement o students and
aculty active on campus at hundreds o universities colleges and schools o nursing in the United States o America and a
member movement o the International Fellowship o Evangelical Students For inormation about local and regional activities
visit intervarsityorg
All Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken rom the New American Standard Biblereg copyright 983089983097983094983088 983089983097983094983090
983089983097983094983091 983089983097983094983096 983089983097983095983089 983089983097983095983090 983089983097983095983091 983089983097983095983093 983089983097983095983095 983089983097983097983093 by Te Lockman Foundation Used by permission
Cover design Cindy Kiple
Interior design Beth McGill
Images Raw Paw GraphicsGetty Images
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983090983092983095983092-983096 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983096983094983094-983092 (digital)
Printed in the United States o America
As a member o the Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment and to theresponsible use o natural resources o learn more visit greenpressinitiativeorg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataCafferky Michael E
Business ethics in biblical perspective a comprehensive introduction Michael E Cafferky
pages cm
Includes bibliographical reerences and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983090983092983095983092-983096 (casebound alk paper)
983089 Business ethicsmdashBiblical teaching 983090 BusinessmdashBiblical teaching 983091 ManagementmdashReligious aspectsmdashChristianity
983092 Ethics in the Bible I itle
BS983094983096983088B983096C983091983092 983090983088983089983093
983090983092983089rsquo983094983092983092mdashdc983090983091
983090983088983089983093983088983089983096983095983093983091
P 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983095 983091983094 983091983093 983091983092 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 527
Contents
Preace 983097
Acknowledgments 983089983092
Outline o the Book 983089983093
General Introduction 983089983097
P983137983154983156 I T983144983141 F983157983150983140983137983149983141983150983156983137983148983155
Chapter 983089 Why Ethics in Business Is Important 983092983089
Chapter 983090 Fundamental ensions in the Environment o Business 983093983097
Chapter 983091 Biblical hemes or Business EthicsmdashPart 983089 983096983088
Chapter 983092 Biblical hemes or Business EthicsmdashPart 983090 983097983093
P983137983154983156 II C983151983150983156983141983149983152983151983154983137983154983161 A983152983152983154983151983137983139983144983141983155
Chapter 983093 Egoism 983089983089983093
Chapter 983094 Relativism 983089983090983096
Chapter 983095 Common Sense 983089983092983088
Chapter 983096 Social Contract 983089983093983091
Chapter 983097 Utilitarianism 983089983094983095
Chapter 983089983088 Universalism 983089983096983089
Chapter 983089983089 Agency 983089983097983094
Chapter 983089983090 Justice and Rights 983090983089983089
Chapter 983089983091 Virtues and Character 983090983090983094
P983137983154983156 III C983151983150983156983141983149983152983151983154983137983154983161 I983155983155983157983141983155
Chapter 983089983092 Ethical Issues in Consumer Behavior 983090983092983089
Chapter 983089983093 Ethical Issues in Management 983090983093983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 627
Chapter 983089983094 Ethical Issues in Accounting and Finance 983090983095983092
Chapter 983089983095 Ethical Issues in Marketing 983090983096983096
Chapter 983089983096 Ethical Issues in Global Business 983091983088983092
P983137983154983156 IV W983145983140983141983150983145983150983143 983156983144983141 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Chapter 983089983097 Corporate Responsibility 983091983090983091
Chapter 983090983088 Evaluating the Morality o Political-Economic Systems 983091983092983089
Chapter 983090983089 Moral Muteness and Pressure to Compromise 983091983093983094
P983137983154983156 V A983152983152983141983150983140983145983160983141983155 983137983150983140 C983137983155983141 S983156983157983140983145983141983155
Appendix A Key Questions rom the Biblical hemes 983091983094983097
Appendix B Scriptural Basis or the Biblical hemes 983091983095983089
Appendix C Biblical hemes Summary ables 983091983095983091
Appendix D en Principles or Flourishing 983091983095983097
Appendix E Summary o Ethical Models in Comparison 983091983096983092
Appendix F he Purpose o Business hrough the Lens o Biblical hemes 983091983096983096
Appendix G Ethical and Social Issue Debate opics 983091983097983096
Appendix H Prosperity in the Bible Q amp A Bible Study 983092983088983092
Case Studies 983092983089983088
Notes 983092983091983093
Subject Index 983092983096983091
About the Author 983092983096983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 727
General Introduction
Fig I1 The biblical story themes
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the Lord
And in His law he meditates day and
nightHe will be like a tree firmly planted by
streams o water
Which yields its ruit in its season
And its lea does not wither
And in whatever he does he prospers
(Ps 10486251048625-1048627)1
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
In this chapter we introduce the concept o
biblical story themes that are guides to ethicalthinking and action in the marketplace In par-
ticular we will
Cosmic Conflict Between God and Satan
Holiness
Creation
Covenant
Shalom
Sabbath
Wisdom
Truth
Righteousness
Loving Kindness
Redemption
Justice
Jesus Christ
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 827
10486261048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull contrast the contemporary view on the
ethics process with a biblical perspective
bull consider the biblical idea o the heart and
how this is related to making decisions re-garding right and wrong
bull introduce the biblical model o the ethics
process as seen rom the point o view o the
person
bull consider the biblical model o the ethics
process rom the point o view o the com-
munity
bull begin practicing the intrapersonal processand the interpersonal process
bull introduce the value o biblical themes and
how they were selected
MAIN TOPICS
Contemporary Business Ethics Process
and Content
Te Perspective o Tis Book Biblical Perspective on Faith
Ethics and the Heart
Te Personal Perspective
Te Community (Social Group) Per-
spective
Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Te Current Crisis
Te Value o Biblical Story Temes
How the Temes Were Selected
KEY TERMS
biblical ethics process community perspective
aith heart interpersonal intrapersonal per-
sonal perspective story themes
OPENING SCENARIOS
In this book we will consider scores o sce-narios rom the world o business Tese will
provide us with many opportunities to think
and talk about business rom a biblical per-
spective Some situations in business are rela-
tively simple We know what is right and
wrong Other situations are more complicatedLetrsquos start with two short scenarios that illus-
trate this point
Scenario A A group o persons skilled in
the creation and use o technology install
secret video cameras at automatic teller ma-
chines (AMs) and gasoline uel pumps or
the purpose o recording account inormation
and PINs that customers use to access unds
in their bank accounts2 Tey combine thiswith the technology to create ake bank cards
which are then used to take money rom the
bank accounts o unsuspecting bank cus-
tomers Is what these sophisticated operators
are doing wrong
Scenario B You move into a new apartment
Te first night you are there you open your
laptop computer and wonder o wonders
your computer detects an unsecured WiFi
available nearby Te WiFi is called JasonC
Te signal strength is medium in your living
room But i you sit in a chair acing the wall
between the stove and the rerigerator the
WiFi signal strength goes up Te next
morning on your way out to work you meet
one o the other tenants in the apartment
building He introduces himsel to you asJason C You immediately think about the
name o the unsecured WiFi you ound last
night You decide not to say anything about
the WiFi signal to Jason right now Is it wrong
to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFi signal to access
the Internet without permission
What to do in Scenario A is what we might
call straightorward Most people will say that
it is clearly and utterly wrong to use someoneelsersquos bank account inormation Furthermore
it is wrong to create ake bank cards and use
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 927
General Introduction 10486261048625
these to steal rom other peoplersquos bank accounts
What to do in Scenario B is not quite as
simple to determine compared with Scenario
A It is a little more complicated though youmight have an initial eeling about what is right
or wrong First is the issue o what is being
stolen i anything Has Jason lost anything o
value as a result o your use o his WiFi con-
nection Has the Internet provider lost any-
thing o value (lost revenue) Ten there is the
issue o who has the responsibility to protect
access to the Internet I Jason or the Internet
service provider does not secure his Internetconnection does this give you permission to
jump on his router and sur the web without
permission Is this an issue o invasion o
privacy or thef or both or neither I you
jump on his WiFi connection but do not hack
into Jasonrsquos system are you invading his
privacy Does it matter whether you live with
Jason sharing a room in his apartment or live
next door to Jason in a different apartment
Would it matter i you are merely logging on to
check email once in a while versus using Ja-
sonrsquos connection to run an e-business out o
your apartment What is the central issue Is
this an ethics issue or is it merely a question o
neighborhood courtesy
While you contemplate the questions re-
lating to Scenario B consider this Decidingwhat to do in these two scenarios depends on
your perspective Tus it is with the issue o
perspective that we start this book
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
ETHICS PROCESS AND CONTENT
With some exceptions the contemporary
business ethics process is ofen seen through
intrapersonal rational or cognitive dimen-sions3 Te process begins when a person en-
counters a situation in which an ethical choice
must be made or when ethical issues are
present that require a social response Te
person first tries to understand the moral
standards that can be used to think throughthe issues Moral standards are viewed as per-
sonal and person-specific o resolve the act
that there are personal differences in the
moral standards the person will employ the
ollowing process steps
bull Recognize the moral impact Consequen-
tialism or perceptions o social expectations
orm the basis or the analysis at this and
later stages o the process At this point the
person considers the benefits and harms
the rights and the wrongs that result rom a
particular action Te expected reactions o
others may be considered
bull State the moral problem in such a way that it
persuades others to see the ethical issues in
the same way Tis step is ofen implied but
how and when the attempt to persuade isseldom discussed
bull Determine the economic outcomes balancing
the net good outcomes with the net bad out-
comes in order to achieve the optimum
result Here the utilitarian posture which
we will explore later is hard to miss
bull Consider the legal requirements Laws are
ormal and specific expressions o social ex-pectations In addition society expects its
citizens to obey the law At this step the legal
requirements are rationally analyzed
bull Evaluate the ethical duties At this point the
person will consider some o the content that
has traditionally ormed the smorgasbord o
duties rom which to choose as the situation
seems to indicate Included in this list may be
religious belies which are placed alongside
virtues utilitarianism the duty to use reason
and avoid contradictions justice and rights
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1027
10486261048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
As with the other steps in the process this is
dominated by rational cognitive activity ac-
complished by the person
A ew observations can be made about thisFirst popular contemporary approaches or
most business ethics thinkers are dominated
by the rational cognitive activity o the person
Te social context is not wholly ignored
however it tends to be de-emphasized in avor
o the individual cognitive activity At times
this cognitive activity engages others through
dialogue or debate and in so doing becomes
somewhat political It is cognitive in that the
analysis and decision making occurs primarily
in the mind o each person It becomes po-
litical when as each person ollows the ana-
lytical steps he or she realizes that differences
o opinion exist Each attempts to persuade the
others o the validity o his or her point o view
Tis persuasion is seen as primarily a meeting
o rational minds but each at least potentially
that comes rom a different starting point
From such dialogue a way through the differ-
ences is then negotiated It is with this typical
contemporary individual cognitive approach
that this book is in contrast
Second not all contemporary approaches are
this cut and dried as portrayed here in the steps
o the process Some contemporary approaches
emphasize virtues Others such as egoism em-phasize what the person desires to achieve
placing this above other concerns Others such
as relativism and the social contract emphasize
social expectations Even when the various ap-
proaches are considered the rational cognitive
dimensions tend to dominate
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK
Te goal o the book is to help you understand
a biblical perspective so that you can make an
inormed decision as to what degree this per-
spective is plausible deensible and practical in
the contemporary market A related goal is to
provide a setting in which you can think care-
ully about your preerred ethical approach andin the process make a commitment o the heart
to an approach which you believe to be best
Another goal is to provide a ramework that
you can begin practicing now Tis is not just a
book about theory It helps you take the first
steps o practice in a social setting
Some o the ethical issues that companies
and their managers ace are relatively straight-
orward What is right or wrong may seem ob- vious With ew exceptions the ethical ap-
proaches described in the book will all lead to
the same conclusion Do not lie cheat or steal
However as you will see some o the ethical
dilemmas that businesses ace are more com-
plicated It is with these more complicated
problems and dilemmas where the ethical per-
spective you believe is best will be tested
Some ethical decision-making approaches
are easier than others Some ocus on a limited
set o issues because the definition o what
constitutes justice or rights is simple As we
will see or example egoism tends to ocus on
the interests o the person Utilitarianism at-
tempts to counteract the shortcomings o
egoism by placing all relevant stakeholders in
the same status with respect to moralsWe use the term process to reer to the intra-
personal (within the person) and interpersonal
(between persons) activities which lead to a de-
cision or action or the action itsel A process
can be thought o as a sequence o action steps
that a person takes to accomplish a task When
aced with an ethical choice the task is to decide
and act on the question What is the right thing
to do in this situation You will be giventhrough reasoning and discussions with others
a chance to test these approaches on more com-
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 427
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094
ivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983093 by Michael E Cafferky
All rights reserved No part o this book may be reproduced in any orm without written permission rom InterVarsity Press
InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division o InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement o students and
aculty active on campus at hundreds o universities colleges and schools o nursing in the United States o America and a
member movement o the International Fellowship o Evangelical Students For inormation about local and regional activities
visit intervarsityorg
All Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken rom the New American Standard Biblereg copyright 983089983097983094983088 983089983097983094983090
983089983097983094983091 983089983097983094983096 983089983097983095983089 983089983097983095983090 983089983097983095983091 983089983097983095983093 983089983097983095983095 983089983097983097983093 by Te Lockman Foundation Used by permission
Cover design Cindy Kiple
Interior design Beth McGill
Images Raw Paw GraphicsGetty Images
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983090983092983095983092-983096 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983096983094983094-983092 (digital)
Printed in the United States o America
As a member o the Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment and to theresponsible use o natural resources o learn more visit greenpressinitiativeorg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataCafferky Michael E
Business ethics in biblical perspective a comprehensive introduction Michael E Cafferky
pages cm
Includes bibliographical reerences and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983090983092983095983092-983096 (casebound alk paper)
983089 Business ethicsmdashBiblical teaching 983090 BusinessmdashBiblical teaching 983091 ManagementmdashReligious aspectsmdashChristianity
983092 Ethics in the Bible I itle
BS983094983096983088B983096C983091983092 983090983088983089983093
983090983092983089rsquo983094983092983092mdashdc983090983091
983090983088983089983093983088983089983096983095983093983091
P 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983095 983091983094 983091983093 983091983092 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 527
Contents
Preace 983097
Acknowledgments 983089983092
Outline o the Book 983089983093
General Introduction 983089983097
P983137983154983156 I T983144983141 F983157983150983140983137983149983141983150983156983137983148983155
Chapter 983089 Why Ethics in Business Is Important 983092983089
Chapter 983090 Fundamental ensions in the Environment o Business 983093983097
Chapter 983091 Biblical hemes or Business EthicsmdashPart 983089 983096983088
Chapter 983092 Biblical hemes or Business EthicsmdashPart 983090 983097983093
P983137983154983156 II C983151983150983156983141983149983152983151983154983137983154983161 A983152983152983154983151983137983139983144983141983155
Chapter 983093 Egoism 983089983089983093
Chapter 983094 Relativism 983089983090983096
Chapter 983095 Common Sense 983089983092983088
Chapter 983096 Social Contract 983089983093983091
Chapter 983097 Utilitarianism 983089983094983095
Chapter 983089983088 Universalism 983089983096983089
Chapter 983089983089 Agency 983089983097983094
Chapter 983089983090 Justice and Rights 983090983089983089
Chapter 983089983091 Virtues and Character 983090983090983094
P983137983154983156 III C983151983150983156983141983149983152983151983154983137983154983161 I983155983155983157983141983155
Chapter 983089983092 Ethical Issues in Consumer Behavior 983090983092983089
Chapter 983089983093 Ethical Issues in Management 983090983093983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 627
Chapter 983089983094 Ethical Issues in Accounting and Finance 983090983095983092
Chapter 983089983095 Ethical Issues in Marketing 983090983096983096
Chapter 983089983096 Ethical Issues in Global Business 983091983088983092
P983137983154983156 IV W983145983140983141983150983145983150983143 983156983144983141 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Chapter 983089983097 Corporate Responsibility 983091983090983091
Chapter 983090983088 Evaluating the Morality o Political-Economic Systems 983091983092983089
Chapter 983090983089 Moral Muteness and Pressure to Compromise 983091983093983094
P983137983154983156 V A983152983152983141983150983140983145983160983141983155 983137983150983140 C983137983155983141 S983156983157983140983145983141983155
Appendix A Key Questions rom the Biblical hemes 983091983094983097
Appendix B Scriptural Basis or the Biblical hemes 983091983095983089
Appendix C Biblical hemes Summary ables 983091983095983091
Appendix D en Principles or Flourishing 983091983095983097
Appendix E Summary o Ethical Models in Comparison 983091983096983092
Appendix F he Purpose o Business hrough the Lens o Biblical hemes 983091983096983096
Appendix G Ethical and Social Issue Debate opics 983091983097983096
Appendix H Prosperity in the Bible Q amp A Bible Study 983092983088983092
Case Studies 983092983089983088
Notes 983092983091983093
Subject Index 983092983096983091
About the Author 983092983096983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 727
General Introduction
Fig I1 The biblical story themes
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the Lord
And in His law he meditates day and
nightHe will be like a tree firmly planted by
streams o water
Which yields its ruit in its season
And its lea does not wither
And in whatever he does he prospers
(Ps 10486251048625-1048627)1
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
In this chapter we introduce the concept o
biblical story themes that are guides to ethicalthinking and action in the marketplace In par-
ticular we will
Cosmic Conflict Between God and Satan
Holiness
Creation
Covenant
Shalom
Sabbath
Wisdom
Truth
Righteousness
Loving Kindness
Redemption
Justice
Jesus Christ
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 827
10486261048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull contrast the contemporary view on the
ethics process with a biblical perspective
bull consider the biblical idea o the heart and
how this is related to making decisions re-garding right and wrong
bull introduce the biblical model o the ethics
process as seen rom the point o view o the
person
bull consider the biblical model o the ethics
process rom the point o view o the com-
munity
bull begin practicing the intrapersonal processand the interpersonal process
bull introduce the value o biblical themes and
how they were selected
MAIN TOPICS
Contemporary Business Ethics Process
and Content
Te Perspective o Tis Book Biblical Perspective on Faith
Ethics and the Heart
Te Personal Perspective
Te Community (Social Group) Per-
spective
Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Te Current Crisis
Te Value o Biblical Story Temes
How the Temes Were Selected
KEY TERMS
biblical ethics process community perspective
aith heart interpersonal intrapersonal per-
sonal perspective story themes
OPENING SCENARIOS
In this book we will consider scores o sce-narios rom the world o business Tese will
provide us with many opportunities to think
and talk about business rom a biblical per-
spective Some situations in business are rela-
tively simple We know what is right and
wrong Other situations are more complicatedLetrsquos start with two short scenarios that illus-
trate this point
Scenario A A group o persons skilled in
the creation and use o technology install
secret video cameras at automatic teller ma-
chines (AMs) and gasoline uel pumps or
the purpose o recording account inormation
and PINs that customers use to access unds
in their bank accounts2 Tey combine thiswith the technology to create ake bank cards
which are then used to take money rom the
bank accounts o unsuspecting bank cus-
tomers Is what these sophisticated operators
are doing wrong
Scenario B You move into a new apartment
Te first night you are there you open your
laptop computer and wonder o wonders
your computer detects an unsecured WiFi
available nearby Te WiFi is called JasonC
Te signal strength is medium in your living
room But i you sit in a chair acing the wall
between the stove and the rerigerator the
WiFi signal strength goes up Te next
morning on your way out to work you meet
one o the other tenants in the apartment
building He introduces himsel to you asJason C You immediately think about the
name o the unsecured WiFi you ound last
night You decide not to say anything about
the WiFi signal to Jason right now Is it wrong
to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFi signal to access
the Internet without permission
What to do in Scenario A is what we might
call straightorward Most people will say that
it is clearly and utterly wrong to use someoneelsersquos bank account inormation Furthermore
it is wrong to create ake bank cards and use
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 927
General Introduction 10486261048625
these to steal rom other peoplersquos bank accounts
What to do in Scenario B is not quite as
simple to determine compared with Scenario
A It is a little more complicated though youmight have an initial eeling about what is right
or wrong First is the issue o what is being
stolen i anything Has Jason lost anything o
value as a result o your use o his WiFi con-
nection Has the Internet provider lost any-
thing o value (lost revenue) Ten there is the
issue o who has the responsibility to protect
access to the Internet I Jason or the Internet
service provider does not secure his Internetconnection does this give you permission to
jump on his router and sur the web without
permission Is this an issue o invasion o
privacy or thef or both or neither I you
jump on his WiFi connection but do not hack
into Jasonrsquos system are you invading his
privacy Does it matter whether you live with
Jason sharing a room in his apartment or live
next door to Jason in a different apartment
Would it matter i you are merely logging on to
check email once in a while versus using Ja-
sonrsquos connection to run an e-business out o
your apartment What is the central issue Is
this an ethics issue or is it merely a question o
neighborhood courtesy
While you contemplate the questions re-
lating to Scenario B consider this Decidingwhat to do in these two scenarios depends on
your perspective Tus it is with the issue o
perspective that we start this book
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
ETHICS PROCESS AND CONTENT
With some exceptions the contemporary
business ethics process is ofen seen through
intrapersonal rational or cognitive dimen-sions3 Te process begins when a person en-
counters a situation in which an ethical choice
must be made or when ethical issues are
present that require a social response Te
person first tries to understand the moral
standards that can be used to think throughthe issues Moral standards are viewed as per-
sonal and person-specific o resolve the act
that there are personal differences in the
moral standards the person will employ the
ollowing process steps
bull Recognize the moral impact Consequen-
tialism or perceptions o social expectations
orm the basis or the analysis at this and
later stages o the process At this point the
person considers the benefits and harms
the rights and the wrongs that result rom a
particular action Te expected reactions o
others may be considered
bull State the moral problem in such a way that it
persuades others to see the ethical issues in
the same way Tis step is ofen implied but
how and when the attempt to persuade isseldom discussed
bull Determine the economic outcomes balancing
the net good outcomes with the net bad out-
comes in order to achieve the optimum
result Here the utilitarian posture which
we will explore later is hard to miss
bull Consider the legal requirements Laws are
ormal and specific expressions o social ex-pectations In addition society expects its
citizens to obey the law At this step the legal
requirements are rationally analyzed
bull Evaluate the ethical duties At this point the
person will consider some o the content that
has traditionally ormed the smorgasbord o
duties rom which to choose as the situation
seems to indicate Included in this list may be
religious belies which are placed alongside
virtues utilitarianism the duty to use reason
and avoid contradictions justice and rights
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1027
10486261048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
As with the other steps in the process this is
dominated by rational cognitive activity ac-
complished by the person
A ew observations can be made about thisFirst popular contemporary approaches or
most business ethics thinkers are dominated
by the rational cognitive activity o the person
Te social context is not wholly ignored
however it tends to be de-emphasized in avor
o the individual cognitive activity At times
this cognitive activity engages others through
dialogue or debate and in so doing becomes
somewhat political It is cognitive in that the
analysis and decision making occurs primarily
in the mind o each person It becomes po-
litical when as each person ollows the ana-
lytical steps he or she realizes that differences
o opinion exist Each attempts to persuade the
others o the validity o his or her point o view
Tis persuasion is seen as primarily a meeting
o rational minds but each at least potentially
that comes rom a different starting point
From such dialogue a way through the differ-
ences is then negotiated It is with this typical
contemporary individual cognitive approach
that this book is in contrast
Second not all contemporary approaches are
this cut and dried as portrayed here in the steps
o the process Some contemporary approaches
emphasize virtues Others such as egoism em-phasize what the person desires to achieve
placing this above other concerns Others such
as relativism and the social contract emphasize
social expectations Even when the various ap-
proaches are considered the rational cognitive
dimensions tend to dominate
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK
Te goal o the book is to help you understand
a biblical perspective so that you can make an
inormed decision as to what degree this per-
spective is plausible deensible and practical in
the contemporary market A related goal is to
provide a setting in which you can think care-
ully about your preerred ethical approach andin the process make a commitment o the heart
to an approach which you believe to be best
Another goal is to provide a ramework that
you can begin practicing now Tis is not just a
book about theory It helps you take the first
steps o practice in a social setting
Some o the ethical issues that companies
and their managers ace are relatively straight-
orward What is right or wrong may seem ob- vious With ew exceptions the ethical ap-
proaches described in the book will all lead to
the same conclusion Do not lie cheat or steal
However as you will see some o the ethical
dilemmas that businesses ace are more com-
plicated It is with these more complicated
problems and dilemmas where the ethical per-
spective you believe is best will be tested
Some ethical decision-making approaches
are easier than others Some ocus on a limited
set o issues because the definition o what
constitutes justice or rights is simple As we
will see or example egoism tends to ocus on
the interests o the person Utilitarianism at-
tempts to counteract the shortcomings o
egoism by placing all relevant stakeholders in
the same status with respect to moralsWe use the term process to reer to the intra-
personal (within the person) and interpersonal
(between persons) activities which lead to a de-
cision or action or the action itsel A process
can be thought o as a sequence o action steps
that a person takes to accomplish a task When
aced with an ethical choice the task is to decide
and act on the question What is the right thing
to do in this situation You will be giventhrough reasoning and discussions with others
a chance to test these approaches on more com-
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 527
Contents
Preace 983097
Acknowledgments 983089983092
Outline o the Book 983089983093
General Introduction 983089983097
P983137983154983156 I T983144983141 F983157983150983140983137983149983141983150983156983137983148983155
Chapter 983089 Why Ethics in Business Is Important 983092983089
Chapter 983090 Fundamental ensions in the Environment o Business 983093983097
Chapter 983091 Biblical hemes or Business EthicsmdashPart 983089 983096983088
Chapter 983092 Biblical hemes or Business EthicsmdashPart 983090 983097983093
P983137983154983156 II C983151983150983156983141983149983152983151983154983137983154983161 A983152983152983154983151983137983139983144983141983155
Chapter 983093 Egoism 983089983089983093
Chapter 983094 Relativism 983089983090983096
Chapter 983095 Common Sense 983089983092983088
Chapter 983096 Social Contract 983089983093983091
Chapter 983097 Utilitarianism 983089983094983095
Chapter 983089983088 Universalism 983089983096983089
Chapter 983089983089 Agency 983089983097983094
Chapter 983089983090 Justice and Rights 983090983089983089
Chapter 983089983091 Virtues and Character 983090983090983094
P983137983154983156 III C983151983150983156983141983149983152983151983154983137983154983161 I983155983155983157983141983155
Chapter 983089983092 Ethical Issues in Consumer Behavior 983090983092983089
Chapter 983089983093 Ethical Issues in Management 983090983093983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 627
Chapter 983089983094 Ethical Issues in Accounting and Finance 983090983095983092
Chapter 983089983095 Ethical Issues in Marketing 983090983096983096
Chapter 983089983096 Ethical Issues in Global Business 983091983088983092
P983137983154983156 IV W983145983140983141983150983145983150983143 983156983144983141 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Chapter 983089983097 Corporate Responsibility 983091983090983091
Chapter 983090983088 Evaluating the Morality o Political-Economic Systems 983091983092983089
Chapter 983090983089 Moral Muteness and Pressure to Compromise 983091983093983094
P983137983154983156 V A983152983152983141983150983140983145983160983141983155 983137983150983140 C983137983155983141 S983156983157983140983145983141983155
Appendix A Key Questions rom the Biblical hemes 983091983094983097
Appendix B Scriptural Basis or the Biblical hemes 983091983095983089
Appendix C Biblical hemes Summary ables 983091983095983091
Appendix D en Principles or Flourishing 983091983095983097
Appendix E Summary o Ethical Models in Comparison 983091983096983092
Appendix F he Purpose o Business hrough the Lens o Biblical hemes 983091983096983096
Appendix G Ethical and Social Issue Debate opics 983091983097983096
Appendix H Prosperity in the Bible Q amp A Bible Study 983092983088983092
Case Studies 983092983089983088
Notes 983092983091983093
Subject Index 983092983096983091
About the Author 983092983096983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 727
General Introduction
Fig I1 The biblical story themes
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the Lord
And in His law he meditates day and
nightHe will be like a tree firmly planted by
streams o water
Which yields its ruit in its season
And its lea does not wither
And in whatever he does he prospers
(Ps 10486251048625-1048627)1
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
In this chapter we introduce the concept o
biblical story themes that are guides to ethicalthinking and action in the marketplace In par-
ticular we will
Cosmic Conflict Between God and Satan
Holiness
Creation
Covenant
Shalom
Sabbath
Wisdom
Truth
Righteousness
Loving Kindness
Redemption
Justice
Jesus Christ
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 827
10486261048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull contrast the contemporary view on the
ethics process with a biblical perspective
bull consider the biblical idea o the heart and
how this is related to making decisions re-garding right and wrong
bull introduce the biblical model o the ethics
process as seen rom the point o view o the
person
bull consider the biblical model o the ethics
process rom the point o view o the com-
munity
bull begin practicing the intrapersonal processand the interpersonal process
bull introduce the value o biblical themes and
how they were selected
MAIN TOPICS
Contemporary Business Ethics Process
and Content
Te Perspective o Tis Book Biblical Perspective on Faith
Ethics and the Heart
Te Personal Perspective
Te Community (Social Group) Per-
spective
Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Te Current Crisis
Te Value o Biblical Story Temes
How the Temes Were Selected
KEY TERMS
biblical ethics process community perspective
aith heart interpersonal intrapersonal per-
sonal perspective story themes
OPENING SCENARIOS
In this book we will consider scores o sce-narios rom the world o business Tese will
provide us with many opportunities to think
and talk about business rom a biblical per-
spective Some situations in business are rela-
tively simple We know what is right and
wrong Other situations are more complicatedLetrsquos start with two short scenarios that illus-
trate this point
Scenario A A group o persons skilled in
the creation and use o technology install
secret video cameras at automatic teller ma-
chines (AMs) and gasoline uel pumps or
the purpose o recording account inormation
and PINs that customers use to access unds
in their bank accounts2 Tey combine thiswith the technology to create ake bank cards
which are then used to take money rom the
bank accounts o unsuspecting bank cus-
tomers Is what these sophisticated operators
are doing wrong
Scenario B You move into a new apartment
Te first night you are there you open your
laptop computer and wonder o wonders
your computer detects an unsecured WiFi
available nearby Te WiFi is called JasonC
Te signal strength is medium in your living
room But i you sit in a chair acing the wall
between the stove and the rerigerator the
WiFi signal strength goes up Te next
morning on your way out to work you meet
one o the other tenants in the apartment
building He introduces himsel to you asJason C You immediately think about the
name o the unsecured WiFi you ound last
night You decide not to say anything about
the WiFi signal to Jason right now Is it wrong
to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFi signal to access
the Internet without permission
What to do in Scenario A is what we might
call straightorward Most people will say that
it is clearly and utterly wrong to use someoneelsersquos bank account inormation Furthermore
it is wrong to create ake bank cards and use
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 927
General Introduction 10486261048625
these to steal rom other peoplersquos bank accounts
What to do in Scenario B is not quite as
simple to determine compared with Scenario
A It is a little more complicated though youmight have an initial eeling about what is right
or wrong First is the issue o what is being
stolen i anything Has Jason lost anything o
value as a result o your use o his WiFi con-
nection Has the Internet provider lost any-
thing o value (lost revenue) Ten there is the
issue o who has the responsibility to protect
access to the Internet I Jason or the Internet
service provider does not secure his Internetconnection does this give you permission to
jump on his router and sur the web without
permission Is this an issue o invasion o
privacy or thef or both or neither I you
jump on his WiFi connection but do not hack
into Jasonrsquos system are you invading his
privacy Does it matter whether you live with
Jason sharing a room in his apartment or live
next door to Jason in a different apartment
Would it matter i you are merely logging on to
check email once in a while versus using Ja-
sonrsquos connection to run an e-business out o
your apartment What is the central issue Is
this an ethics issue or is it merely a question o
neighborhood courtesy
While you contemplate the questions re-
lating to Scenario B consider this Decidingwhat to do in these two scenarios depends on
your perspective Tus it is with the issue o
perspective that we start this book
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
ETHICS PROCESS AND CONTENT
With some exceptions the contemporary
business ethics process is ofen seen through
intrapersonal rational or cognitive dimen-sions3 Te process begins when a person en-
counters a situation in which an ethical choice
must be made or when ethical issues are
present that require a social response Te
person first tries to understand the moral
standards that can be used to think throughthe issues Moral standards are viewed as per-
sonal and person-specific o resolve the act
that there are personal differences in the
moral standards the person will employ the
ollowing process steps
bull Recognize the moral impact Consequen-
tialism or perceptions o social expectations
orm the basis or the analysis at this and
later stages o the process At this point the
person considers the benefits and harms
the rights and the wrongs that result rom a
particular action Te expected reactions o
others may be considered
bull State the moral problem in such a way that it
persuades others to see the ethical issues in
the same way Tis step is ofen implied but
how and when the attempt to persuade isseldom discussed
bull Determine the economic outcomes balancing
the net good outcomes with the net bad out-
comes in order to achieve the optimum
result Here the utilitarian posture which
we will explore later is hard to miss
bull Consider the legal requirements Laws are
ormal and specific expressions o social ex-pectations In addition society expects its
citizens to obey the law At this step the legal
requirements are rationally analyzed
bull Evaluate the ethical duties At this point the
person will consider some o the content that
has traditionally ormed the smorgasbord o
duties rom which to choose as the situation
seems to indicate Included in this list may be
religious belies which are placed alongside
virtues utilitarianism the duty to use reason
and avoid contradictions justice and rights
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1027
10486261048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
As with the other steps in the process this is
dominated by rational cognitive activity ac-
complished by the person
A ew observations can be made about thisFirst popular contemporary approaches or
most business ethics thinkers are dominated
by the rational cognitive activity o the person
Te social context is not wholly ignored
however it tends to be de-emphasized in avor
o the individual cognitive activity At times
this cognitive activity engages others through
dialogue or debate and in so doing becomes
somewhat political It is cognitive in that the
analysis and decision making occurs primarily
in the mind o each person It becomes po-
litical when as each person ollows the ana-
lytical steps he or she realizes that differences
o opinion exist Each attempts to persuade the
others o the validity o his or her point o view
Tis persuasion is seen as primarily a meeting
o rational minds but each at least potentially
that comes rom a different starting point
From such dialogue a way through the differ-
ences is then negotiated It is with this typical
contemporary individual cognitive approach
that this book is in contrast
Second not all contemporary approaches are
this cut and dried as portrayed here in the steps
o the process Some contemporary approaches
emphasize virtues Others such as egoism em-phasize what the person desires to achieve
placing this above other concerns Others such
as relativism and the social contract emphasize
social expectations Even when the various ap-
proaches are considered the rational cognitive
dimensions tend to dominate
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK
Te goal o the book is to help you understand
a biblical perspective so that you can make an
inormed decision as to what degree this per-
spective is plausible deensible and practical in
the contemporary market A related goal is to
provide a setting in which you can think care-
ully about your preerred ethical approach andin the process make a commitment o the heart
to an approach which you believe to be best
Another goal is to provide a ramework that
you can begin practicing now Tis is not just a
book about theory It helps you take the first
steps o practice in a social setting
Some o the ethical issues that companies
and their managers ace are relatively straight-
orward What is right or wrong may seem ob- vious With ew exceptions the ethical ap-
proaches described in the book will all lead to
the same conclusion Do not lie cheat or steal
However as you will see some o the ethical
dilemmas that businesses ace are more com-
plicated It is with these more complicated
problems and dilemmas where the ethical per-
spective you believe is best will be tested
Some ethical decision-making approaches
are easier than others Some ocus on a limited
set o issues because the definition o what
constitutes justice or rights is simple As we
will see or example egoism tends to ocus on
the interests o the person Utilitarianism at-
tempts to counteract the shortcomings o
egoism by placing all relevant stakeholders in
the same status with respect to moralsWe use the term process to reer to the intra-
personal (within the person) and interpersonal
(between persons) activities which lead to a de-
cision or action or the action itsel A process
can be thought o as a sequence o action steps
that a person takes to accomplish a task When
aced with an ethical choice the task is to decide
and act on the question What is the right thing
to do in this situation You will be giventhrough reasoning and discussions with others
a chance to test these approaches on more com-
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 627
Chapter 983089983094 Ethical Issues in Accounting and Finance 983090983095983092
Chapter 983089983095 Ethical Issues in Marketing 983090983096983096
Chapter 983089983096 Ethical Issues in Global Business 983091983088983092
P983137983154983156 IV W983145983140983141983150983145983150983143 983156983144983141 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Chapter 983089983097 Corporate Responsibility 983091983090983091
Chapter 983090983088 Evaluating the Morality o Political-Economic Systems 983091983092983089
Chapter 983090983089 Moral Muteness and Pressure to Compromise 983091983093983094
P983137983154983156 V A983152983152983141983150983140983145983160983141983155 983137983150983140 C983137983155983141 S983156983157983140983145983141983155
Appendix A Key Questions rom the Biblical hemes 983091983094983097
Appendix B Scriptural Basis or the Biblical hemes 983091983095983089
Appendix C Biblical hemes Summary ables 983091983095983091
Appendix D en Principles or Flourishing 983091983095983097
Appendix E Summary o Ethical Models in Comparison 983091983096983092
Appendix F he Purpose o Business hrough the Lens o Biblical hemes 983091983096983096
Appendix G Ethical and Social Issue Debate opics 983091983097983096
Appendix H Prosperity in the Bible Q amp A Bible Study 983092983088983092
Case Studies 983092983089983088
Notes 983092983091983093
Subject Index 983092983096983091
About the Author 983092983096983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 727
General Introduction
Fig I1 The biblical story themes
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the Lord
And in His law he meditates day and
nightHe will be like a tree firmly planted by
streams o water
Which yields its ruit in its season
And its lea does not wither
And in whatever he does he prospers
(Ps 10486251048625-1048627)1
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
In this chapter we introduce the concept o
biblical story themes that are guides to ethicalthinking and action in the marketplace In par-
ticular we will
Cosmic Conflict Between God and Satan
Holiness
Creation
Covenant
Shalom
Sabbath
Wisdom
Truth
Righteousness
Loving Kindness
Redemption
Justice
Jesus Christ
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 827
10486261048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull contrast the contemporary view on the
ethics process with a biblical perspective
bull consider the biblical idea o the heart and
how this is related to making decisions re-garding right and wrong
bull introduce the biblical model o the ethics
process as seen rom the point o view o the
person
bull consider the biblical model o the ethics
process rom the point o view o the com-
munity
bull begin practicing the intrapersonal processand the interpersonal process
bull introduce the value o biblical themes and
how they were selected
MAIN TOPICS
Contemporary Business Ethics Process
and Content
Te Perspective o Tis Book Biblical Perspective on Faith
Ethics and the Heart
Te Personal Perspective
Te Community (Social Group) Per-
spective
Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Te Current Crisis
Te Value o Biblical Story Temes
How the Temes Were Selected
KEY TERMS
biblical ethics process community perspective
aith heart interpersonal intrapersonal per-
sonal perspective story themes
OPENING SCENARIOS
In this book we will consider scores o sce-narios rom the world o business Tese will
provide us with many opportunities to think
and talk about business rom a biblical per-
spective Some situations in business are rela-
tively simple We know what is right and
wrong Other situations are more complicatedLetrsquos start with two short scenarios that illus-
trate this point
Scenario A A group o persons skilled in
the creation and use o technology install
secret video cameras at automatic teller ma-
chines (AMs) and gasoline uel pumps or
the purpose o recording account inormation
and PINs that customers use to access unds
in their bank accounts2 Tey combine thiswith the technology to create ake bank cards
which are then used to take money rom the
bank accounts o unsuspecting bank cus-
tomers Is what these sophisticated operators
are doing wrong
Scenario B You move into a new apartment
Te first night you are there you open your
laptop computer and wonder o wonders
your computer detects an unsecured WiFi
available nearby Te WiFi is called JasonC
Te signal strength is medium in your living
room But i you sit in a chair acing the wall
between the stove and the rerigerator the
WiFi signal strength goes up Te next
morning on your way out to work you meet
one o the other tenants in the apartment
building He introduces himsel to you asJason C You immediately think about the
name o the unsecured WiFi you ound last
night You decide not to say anything about
the WiFi signal to Jason right now Is it wrong
to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFi signal to access
the Internet without permission
What to do in Scenario A is what we might
call straightorward Most people will say that
it is clearly and utterly wrong to use someoneelsersquos bank account inormation Furthermore
it is wrong to create ake bank cards and use
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 927
General Introduction 10486261048625
these to steal rom other peoplersquos bank accounts
What to do in Scenario B is not quite as
simple to determine compared with Scenario
A It is a little more complicated though youmight have an initial eeling about what is right
or wrong First is the issue o what is being
stolen i anything Has Jason lost anything o
value as a result o your use o his WiFi con-
nection Has the Internet provider lost any-
thing o value (lost revenue) Ten there is the
issue o who has the responsibility to protect
access to the Internet I Jason or the Internet
service provider does not secure his Internetconnection does this give you permission to
jump on his router and sur the web without
permission Is this an issue o invasion o
privacy or thef or both or neither I you
jump on his WiFi connection but do not hack
into Jasonrsquos system are you invading his
privacy Does it matter whether you live with
Jason sharing a room in his apartment or live
next door to Jason in a different apartment
Would it matter i you are merely logging on to
check email once in a while versus using Ja-
sonrsquos connection to run an e-business out o
your apartment What is the central issue Is
this an ethics issue or is it merely a question o
neighborhood courtesy
While you contemplate the questions re-
lating to Scenario B consider this Decidingwhat to do in these two scenarios depends on
your perspective Tus it is with the issue o
perspective that we start this book
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
ETHICS PROCESS AND CONTENT
With some exceptions the contemporary
business ethics process is ofen seen through
intrapersonal rational or cognitive dimen-sions3 Te process begins when a person en-
counters a situation in which an ethical choice
must be made or when ethical issues are
present that require a social response Te
person first tries to understand the moral
standards that can be used to think throughthe issues Moral standards are viewed as per-
sonal and person-specific o resolve the act
that there are personal differences in the
moral standards the person will employ the
ollowing process steps
bull Recognize the moral impact Consequen-
tialism or perceptions o social expectations
orm the basis or the analysis at this and
later stages o the process At this point the
person considers the benefits and harms
the rights and the wrongs that result rom a
particular action Te expected reactions o
others may be considered
bull State the moral problem in such a way that it
persuades others to see the ethical issues in
the same way Tis step is ofen implied but
how and when the attempt to persuade isseldom discussed
bull Determine the economic outcomes balancing
the net good outcomes with the net bad out-
comes in order to achieve the optimum
result Here the utilitarian posture which
we will explore later is hard to miss
bull Consider the legal requirements Laws are
ormal and specific expressions o social ex-pectations In addition society expects its
citizens to obey the law At this step the legal
requirements are rationally analyzed
bull Evaluate the ethical duties At this point the
person will consider some o the content that
has traditionally ormed the smorgasbord o
duties rom which to choose as the situation
seems to indicate Included in this list may be
religious belies which are placed alongside
virtues utilitarianism the duty to use reason
and avoid contradictions justice and rights
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1027
10486261048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
As with the other steps in the process this is
dominated by rational cognitive activity ac-
complished by the person
A ew observations can be made about thisFirst popular contemporary approaches or
most business ethics thinkers are dominated
by the rational cognitive activity o the person
Te social context is not wholly ignored
however it tends to be de-emphasized in avor
o the individual cognitive activity At times
this cognitive activity engages others through
dialogue or debate and in so doing becomes
somewhat political It is cognitive in that the
analysis and decision making occurs primarily
in the mind o each person It becomes po-
litical when as each person ollows the ana-
lytical steps he or she realizes that differences
o opinion exist Each attempts to persuade the
others o the validity o his or her point o view
Tis persuasion is seen as primarily a meeting
o rational minds but each at least potentially
that comes rom a different starting point
From such dialogue a way through the differ-
ences is then negotiated It is with this typical
contemporary individual cognitive approach
that this book is in contrast
Second not all contemporary approaches are
this cut and dried as portrayed here in the steps
o the process Some contemporary approaches
emphasize virtues Others such as egoism em-phasize what the person desires to achieve
placing this above other concerns Others such
as relativism and the social contract emphasize
social expectations Even when the various ap-
proaches are considered the rational cognitive
dimensions tend to dominate
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK
Te goal o the book is to help you understand
a biblical perspective so that you can make an
inormed decision as to what degree this per-
spective is plausible deensible and practical in
the contemporary market A related goal is to
provide a setting in which you can think care-
ully about your preerred ethical approach andin the process make a commitment o the heart
to an approach which you believe to be best
Another goal is to provide a ramework that
you can begin practicing now Tis is not just a
book about theory It helps you take the first
steps o practice in a social setting
Some o the ethical issues that companies
and their managers ace are relatively straight-
orward What is right or wrong may seem ob- vious With ew exceptions the ethical ap-
proaches described in the book will all lead to
the same conclusion Do not lie cheat or steal
However as you will see some o the ethical
dilemmas that businesses ace are more com-
plicated It is with these more complicated
problems and dilemmas where the ethical per-
spective you believe is best will be tested
Some ethical decision-making approaches
are easier than others Some ocus on a limited
set o issues because the definition o what
constitutes justice or rights is simple As we
will see or example egoism tends to ocus on
the interests o the person Utilitarianism at-
tempts to counteract the shortcomings o
egoism by placing all relevant stakeholders in
the same status with respect to moralsWe use the term process to reer to the intra-
personal (within the person) and interpersonal
(between persons) activities which lead to a de-
cision or action or the action itsel A process
can be thought o as a sequence o action steps
that a person takes to accomplish a task When
aced with an ethical choice the task is to decide
and act on the question What is the right thing
to do in this situation You will be giventhrough reasoning and discussions with others
a chance to test these approaches on more com-
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 727
General Introduction
Fig I1 The biblical story themes
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the Lord
And in His law he meditates day and
nightHe will be like a tree firmly planted by
streams o water
Which yields its ruit in its season
And its lea does not wither
And in whatever he does he prospers
(Ps 10486251048625-1048627)1
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
In this chapter we introduce the concept o
biblical story themes that are guides to ethicalthinking and action in the marketplace In par-
ticular we will
Cosmic Conflict Between God and Satan
Holiness
Creation
Covenant
Shalom
Sabbath
Wisdom
Truth
Righteousness
Loving Kindness
Redemption
Justice
Jesus Christ
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 827
10486261048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull contrast the contemporary view on the
ethics process with a biblical perspective
bull consider the biblical idea o the heart and
how this is related to making decisions re-garding right and wrong
bull introduce the biblical model o the ethics
process as seen rom the point o view o the
person
bull consider the biblical model o the ethics
process rom the point o view o the com-
munity
bull begin practicing the intrapersonal processand the interpersonal process
bull introduce the value o biblical themes and
how they were selected
MAIN TOPICS
Contemporary Business Ethics Process
and Content
Te Perspective o Tis Book Biblical Perspective on Faith
Ethics and the Heart
Te Personal Perspective
Te Community (Social Group) Per-
spective
Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Te Current Crisis
Te Value o Biblical Story Temes
How the Temes Were Selected
KEY TERMS
biblical ethics process community perspective
aith heart interpersonal intrapersonal per-
sonal perspective story themes
OPENING SCENARIOS
In this book we will consider scores o sce-narios rom the world o business Tese will
provide us with many opportunities to think
and talk about business rom a biblical per-
spective Some situations in business are rela-
tively simple We know what is right and
wrong Other situations are more complicatedLetrsquos start with two short scenarios that illus-
trate this point
Scenario A A group o persons skilled in
the creation and use o technology install
secret video cameras at automatic teller ma-
chines (AMs) and gasoline uel pumps or
the purpose o recording account inormation
and PINs that customers use to access unds
in their bank accounts2 Tey combine thiswith the technology to create ake bank cards
which are then used to take money rom the
bank accounts o unsuspecting bank cus-
tomers Is what these sophisticated operators
are doing wrong
Scenario B You move into a new apartment
Te first night you are there you open your
laptop computer and wonder o wonders
your computer detects an unsecured WiFi
available nearby Te WiFi is called JasonC
Te signal strength is medium in your living
room But i you sit in a chair acing the wall
between the stove and the rerigerator the
WiFi signal strength goes up Te next
morning on your way out to work you meet
one o the other tenants in the apartment
building He introduces himsel to you asJason C You immediately think about the
name o the unsecured WiFi you ound last
night You decide not to say anything about
the WiFi signal to Jason right now Is it wrong
to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFi signal to access
the Internet without permission
What to do in Scenario A is what we might
call straightorward Most people will say that
it is clearly and utterly wrong to use someoneelsersquos bank account inormation Furthermore
it is wrong to create ake bank cards and use
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 927
General Introduction 10486261048625
these to steal rom other peoplersquos bank accounts
What to do in Scenario B is not quite as
simple to determine compared with Scenario
A It is a little more complicated though youmight have an initial eeling about what is right
or wrong First is the issue o what is being
stolen i anything Has Jason lost anything o
value as a result o your use o his WiFi con-
nection Has the Internet provider lost any-
thing o value (lost revenue) Ten there is the
issue o who has the responsibility to protect
access to the Internet I Jason or the Internet
service provider does not secure his Internetconnection does this give you permission to
jump on his router and sur the web without
permission Is this an issue o invasion o
privacy or thef or both or neither I you
jump on his WiFi connection but do not hack
into Jasonrsquos system are you invading his
privacy Does it matter whether you live with
Jason sharing a room in his apartment or live
next door to Jason in a different apartment
Would it matter i you are merely logging on to
check email once in a while versus using Ja-
sonrsquos connection to run an e-business out o
your apartment What is the central issue Is
this an ethics issue or is it merely a question o
neighborhood courtesy
While you contemplate the questions re-
lating to Scenario B consider this Decidingwhat to do in these two scenarios depends on
your perspective Tus it is with the issue o
perspective that we start this book
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
ETHICS PROCESS AND CONTENT
With some exceptions the contemporary
business ethics process is ofen seen through
intrapersonal rational or cognitive dimen-sions3 Te process begins when a person en-
counters a situation in which an ethical choice
must be made or when ethical issues are
present that require a social response Te
person first tries to understand the moral
standards that can be used to think throughthe issues Moral standards are viewed as per-
sonal and person-specific o resolve the act
that there are personal differences in the
moral standards the person will employ the
ollowing process steps
bull Recognize the moral impact Consequen-
tialism or perceptions o social expectations
orm the basis or the analysis at this and
later stages o the process At this point the
person considers the benefits and harms
the rights and the wrongs that result rom a
particular action Te expected reactions o
others may be considered
bull State the moral problem in such a way that it
persuades others to see the ethical issues in
the same way Tis step is ofen implied but
how and when the attempt to persuade isseldom discussed
bull Determine the economic outcomes balancing
the net good outcomes with the net bad out-
comes in order to achieve the optimum
result Here the utilitarian posture which
we will explore later is hard to miss
bull Consider the legal requirements Laws are
ormal and specific expressions o social ex-pectations In addition society expects its
citizens to obey the law At this step the legal
requirements are rationally analyzed
bull Evaluate the ethical duties At this point the
person will consider some o the content that
has traditionally ormed the smorgasbord o
duties rom which to choose as the situation
seems to indicate Included in this list may be
religious belies which are placed alongside
virtues utilitarianism the duty to use reason
and avoid contradictions justice and rights
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1027
10486261048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
As with the other steps in the process this is
dominated by rational cognitive activity ac-
complished by the person
A ew observations can be made about thisFirst popular contemporary approaches or
most business ethics thinkers are dominated
by the rational cognitive activity o the person
Te social context is not wholly ignored
however it tends to be de-emphasized in avor
o the individual cognitive activity At times
this cognitive activity engages others through
dialogue or debate and in so doing becomes
somewhat political It is cognitive in that the
analysis and decision making occurs primarily
in the mind o each person It becomes po-
litical when as each person ollows the ana-
lytical steps he or she realizes that differences
o opinion exist Each attempts to persuade the
others o the validity o his or her point o view
Tis persuasion is seen as primarily a meeting
o rational minds but each at least potentially
that comes rom a different starting point
From such dialogue a way through the differ-
ences is then negotiated It is with this typical
contemporary individual cognitive approach
that this book is in contrast
Second not all contemporary approaches are
this cut and dried as portrayed here in the steps
o the process Some contemporary approaches
emphasize virtues Others such as egoism em-phasize what the person desires to achieve
placing this above other concerns Others such
as relativism and the social contract emphasize
social expectations Even when the various ap-
proaches are considered the rational cognitive
dimensions tend to dominate
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK
Te goal o the book is to help you understand
a biblical perspective so that you can make an
inormed decision as to what degree this per-
spective is plausible deensible and practical in
the contemporary market A related goal is to
provide a setting in which you can think care-
ully about your preerred ethical approach andin the process make a commitment o the heart
to an approach which you believe to be best
Another goal is to provide a ramework that
you can begin practicing now Tis is not just a
book about theory It helps you take the first
steps o practice in a social setting
Some o the ethical issues that companies
and their managers ace are relatively straight-
orward What is right or wrong may seem ob- vious With ew exceptions the ethical ap-
proaches described in the book will all lead to
the same conclusion Do not lie cheat or steal
However as you will see some o the ethical
dilemmas that businesses ace are more com-
plicated It is with these more complicated
problems and dilemmas where the ethical per-
spective you believe is best will be tested
Some ethical decision-making approaches
are easier than others Some ocus on a limited
set o issues because the definition o what
constitutes justice or rights is simple As we
will see or example egoism tends to ocus on
the interests o the person Utilitarianism at-
tempts to counteract the shortcomings o
egoism by placing all relevant stakeholders in
the same status with respect to moralsWe use the term process to reer to the intra-
personal (within the person) and interpersonal
(between persons) activities which lead to a de-
cision or action or the action itsel A process
can be thought o as a sequence o action steps
that a person takes to accomplish a task When
aced with an ethical choice the task is to decide
and act on the question What is the right thing
to do in this situation You will be giventhrough reasoning and discussions with others
a chance to test these approaches on more com-
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 827
10486261048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull contrast the contemporary view on the
ethics process with a biblical perspective
bull consider the biblical idea o the heart and
how this is related to making decisions re-garding right and wrong
bull introduce the biblical model o the ethics
process as seen rom the point o view o the
person
bull consider the biblical model o the ethics
process rom the point o view o the com-
munity
bull begin practicing the intrapersonal processand the interpersonal process
bull introduce the value o biblical themes and
how they were selected
MAIN TOPICS
Contemporary Business Ethics Process
and Content
Te Perspective o Tis Book Biblical Perspective on Faith
Ethics and the Heart
Te Personal Perspective
Te Community (Social Group) Per-
spective
Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Te Current Crisis
Te Value o Biblical Story Temes
How the Temes Were Selected
KEY TERMS
biblical ethics process community perspective
aith heart interpersonal intrapersonal per-
sonal perspective story themes
OPENING SCENARIOS
In this book we will consider scores o sce-narios rom the world o business Tese will
provide us with many opportunities to think
and talk about business rom a biblical per-
spective Some situations in business are rela-
tively simple We know what is right and
wrong Other situations are more complicatedLetrsquos start with two short scenarios that illus-
trate this point
Scenario A A group o persons skilled in
the creation and use o technology install
secret video cameras at automatic teller ma-
chines (AMs) and gasoline uel pumps or
the purpose o recording account inormation
and PINs that customers use to access unds
in their bank accounts2 Tey combine thiswith the technology to create ake bank cards
which are then used to take money rom the
bank accounts o unsuspecting bank cus-
tomers Is what these sophisticated operators
are doing wrong
Scenario B You move into a new apartment
Te first night you are there you open your
laptop computer and wonder o wonders
your computer detects an unsecured WiFi
available nearby Te WiFi is called JasonC
Te signal strength is medium in your living
room But i you sit in a chair acing the wall
between the stove and the rerigerator the
WiFi signal strength goes up Te next
morning on your way out to work you meet
one o the other tenants in the apartment
building He introduces himsel to you asJason C You immediately think about the
name o the unsecured WiFi you ound last
night You decide not to say anything about
the WiFi signal to Jason right now Is it wrong
to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFi signal to access
the Internet without permission
What to do in Scenario A is what we might
call straightorward Most people will say that
it is clearly and utterly wrong to use someoneelsersquos bank account inormation Furthermore
it is wrong to create ake bank cards and use
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 927
General Introduction 10486261048625
these to steal rom other peoplersquos bank accounts
What to do in Scenario B is not quite as
simple to determine compared with Scenario
A It is a little more complicated though youmight have an initial eeling about what is right
or wrong First is the issue o what is being
stolen i anything Has Jason lost anything o
value as a result o your use o his WiFi con-
nection Has the Internet provider lost any-
thing o value (lost revenue) Ten there is the
issue o who has the responsibility to protect
access to the Internet I Jason or the Internet
service provider does not secure his Internetconnection does this give you permission to
jump on his router and sur the web without
permission Is this an issue o invasion o
privacy or thef or both or neither I you
jump on his WiFi connection but do not hack
into Jasonrsquos system are you invading his
privacy Does it matter whether you live with
Jason sharing a room in his apartment or live
next door to Jason in a different apartment
Would it matter i you are merely logging on to
check email once in a while versus using Ja-
sonrsquos connection to run an e-business out o
your apartment What is the central issue Is
this an ethics issue or is it merely a question o
neighborhood courtesy
While you contemplate the questions re-
lating to Scenario B consider this Decidingwhat to do in these two scenarios depends on
your perspective Tus it is with the issue o
perspective that we start this book
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
ETHICS PROCESS AND CONTENT
With some exceptions the contemporary
business ethics process is ofen seen through
intrapersonal rational or cognitive dimen-sions3 Te process begins when a person en-
counters a situation in which an ethical choice
must be made or when ethical issues are
present that require a social response Te
person first tries to understand the moral
standards that can be used to think throughthe issues Moral standards are viewed as per-
sonal and person-specific o resolve the act
that there are personal differences in the
moral standards the person will employ the
ollowing process steps
bull Recognize the moral impact Consequen-
tialism or perceptions o social expectations
orm the basis or the analysis at this and
later stages o the process At this point the
person considers the benefits and harms
the rights and the wrongs that result rom a
particular action Te expected reactions o
others may be considered
bull State the moral problem in such a way that it
persuades others to see the ethical issues in
the same way Tis step is ofen implied but
how and when the attempt to persuade isseldom discussed
bull Determine the economic outcomes balancing
the net good outcomes with the net bad out-
comes in order to achieve the optimum
result Here the utilitarian posture which
we will explore later is hard to miss
bull Consider the legal requirements Laws are
ormal and specific expressions o social ex-pectations In addition society expects its
citizens to obey the law At this step the legal
requirements are rationally analyzed
bull Evaluate the ethical duties At this point the
person will consider some o the content that
has traditionally ormed the smorgasbord o
duties rom which to choose as the situation
seems to indicate Included in this list may be
religious belies which are placed alongside
virtues utilitarianism the duty to use reason
and avoid contradictions justice and rights
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1027
10486261048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
As with the other steps in the process this is
dominated by rational cognitive activity ac-
complished by the person
A ew observations can be made about thisFirst popular contemporary approaches or
most business ethics thinkers are dominated
by the rational cognitive activity o the person
Te social context is not wholly ignored
however it tends to be de-emphasized in avor
o the individual cognitive activity At times
this cognitive activity engages others through
dialogue or debate and in so doing becomes
somewhat political It is cognitive in that the
analysis and decision making occurs primarily
in the mind o each person It becomes po-
litical when as each person ollows the ana-
lytical steps he or she realizes that differences
o opinion exist Each attempts to persuade the
others o the validity o his or her point o view
Tis persuasion is seen as primarily a meeting
o rational minds but each at least potentially
that comes rom a different starting point
From such dialogue a way through the differ-
ences is then negotiated It is with this typical
contemporary individual cognitive approach
that this book is in contrast
Second not all contemporary approaches are
this cut and dried as portrayed here in the steps
o the process Some contemporary approaches
emphasize virtues Others such as egoism em-phasize what the person desires to achieve
placing this above other concerns Others such
as relativism and the social contract emphasize
social expectations Even when the various ap-
proaches are considered the rational cognitive
dimensions tend to dominate
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK
Te goal o the book is to help you understand
a biblical perspective so that you can make an
inormed decision as to what degree this per-
spective is plausible deensible and practical in
the contemporary market A related goal is to
provide a setting in which you can think care-
ully about your preerred ethical approach andin the process make a commitment o the heart
to an approach which you believe to be best
Another goal is to provide a ramework that
you can begin practicing now Tis is not just a
book about theory It helps you take the first
steps o practice in a social setting
Some o the ethical issues that companies
and their managers ace are relatively straight-
orward What is right or wrong may seem ob- vious With ew exceptions the ethical ap-
proaches described in the book will all lead to
the same conclusion Do not lie cheat or steal
However as you will see some o the ethical
dilemmas that businesses ace are more com-
plicated It is with these more complicated
problems and dilemmas where the ethical per-
spective you believe is best will be tested
Some ethical decision-making approaches
are easier than others Some ocus on a limited
set o issues because the definition o what
constitutes justice or rights is simple As we
will see or example egoism tends to ocus on
the interests o the person Utilitarianism at-
tempts to counteract the shortcomings o
egoism by placing all relevant stakeholders in
the same status with respect to moralsWe use the term process to reer to the intra-
personal (within the person) and interpersonal
(between persons) activities which lead to a de-
cision or action or the action itsel A process
can be thought o as a sequence o action steps
that a person takes to accomplish a task When
aced with an ethical choice the task is to decide
and act on the question What is the right thing
to do in this situation You will be giventhrough reasoning and discussions with others
a chance to test these approaches on more com-
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 927
General Introduction 10486261048625
these to steal rom other peoplersquos bank accounts
What to do in Scenario B is not quite as
simple to determine compared with Scenario
A It is a little more complicated though youmight have an initial eeling about what is right
or wrong First is the issue o what is being
stolen i anything Has Jason lost anything o
value as a result o your use o his WiFi con-
nection Has the Internet provider lost any-
thing o value (lost revenue) Ten there is the
issue o who has the responsibility to protect
access to the Internet I Jason or the Internet
service provider does not secure his Internetconnection does this give you permission to
jump on his router and sur the web without
permission Is this an issue o invasion o
privacy or thef or both or neither I you
jump on his WiFi connection but do not hack
into Jasonrsquos system are you invading his
privacy Does it matter whether you live with
Jason sharing a room in his apartment or live
next door to Jason in a different apartment
Would it matter i you are merely logging on to
check email once in a while versus using Ja-
sonrsquos connection to run an e-business out o
your apartment What is the central issue Is
this an ethics issue or is it merely a question o
neighborhood courtesy
While you contemplate the questions re-
lating to Scenario B consider this Decidingwhat to do in these two scenarios depends on
your perspective Tus it is with the issue o
perspective that we start this book
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
ETHICS PROCESS AND CONTENT
With some exceptions the contemporary
business ethics process is ofen seen through
intrapersonal rational or cognitive dimen-sions3 Te process begins when a person en-
counters a situation in which an ethical choice
must be made or when ethical issues are
present that require a social response Te
person first tries to understand the moral
standards that can be used to think throughthe issues Moral standards are viewed as per-
sonal and person-specific o resolve the act
that there are personal differences in the
moral standards the person will employ the
ollowing process steps
bull Recognize the moral impact Consequen-
tialism or perceptions o social expectations
orm the basis or the analysis at this and
later stages o the process At this point the
person considers the benefits and harms
the rights and the wrongs that result rom a
particular action Te expected reactions o
others may be considered
bull State the moral problem in such a way that it
persuades others to see the ethical issues in
the same way Tis step is ofen implied but
how and when the attempt to persuade isseldom discussed
bull Determine the economic outcomes balancing
the net good outcomes with the net bad out-
comes in order to achieve the optimum
result Here the utilitarian posture which
we will explore later is hard to miss
bull Consider the legal requirements Laws are
ormal and specific expressions o social ex-pectations In addition society expects its
citizens to obey the law At this step the legal
requirements are rationally analyzed
bull Evaluate the ethical duties At this point the
person will consider some o the content that
has traditionally ormed the smorgasbord o
duties rom which to choose as the situation
seems to indicate Included in this list may be
religious belies which are placed alongside
virtues utilitarianism the duty to use reason
and avoid contradictions justice and rights
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1027
10486261048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
As with the other steps in the process this is
dominated by rational cognitive activity ac-
complished by the person
A ew observations can be made about thisFirst popular contemporary approaches or
most business ethics thinkers are dominated
by the rational cognitive activity o the person
Te social context is not wholly ignored
however it tends to be de-emphasized in avor
o the individual cognitive activity At times
this cognitive activity engages others through
dialogue or debate and in so doing becomes
somewhat political It is cognitive in that the
analysis and decision making occurs primarily
in the mind o each person It becomes po-
litical when as each person ollows the ana-
lytical steps he or she realizes that differences
o opinion exist Each attempts to persuade the
others o the validity o his or her point o view
Tis persuasion is seen as primarily a meeting
o rational minds but each at least potentially
that comes rom a different starting point
From such dialogue a way through the differ-
ences is then negotiated It is with this typical
contemporary individual cognitive approach
that this book is in contrast
Second not all contemporary approaches are
this cut and dried as portrayed here in the steps
o the process Some contemporary approaches
emphasize virtues Others such as egoism em-phasize what the person desires to achieve
placing this above other concerns Others such
as relativism and the social contract emphasize
social expectations Even when the various ap-
proaches are considered the rational cognitive
dimensions tend to dominate
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK
Te goal o the book is to help you understand
a biblical perspective so that you can make an
inormed decision as to what degree this per-
spective is plausible deensible and practical in
the contemporary market A related goal is to
provide a setting in which you can think care-
ully about your preerred ethical approach andin the process make a commitment o the heart
to an approach which you believe to be best
Another goal is to provide a ramework that
you can begin practicing now Tis is not just a
book about theory It helps you take the first
steps o practice in a social setting
Some o the ethical issues that companies
and their managers ace are relatively straight-
orward What is right or wrong may seem ob- vious With ew exceptions the ethical ap-
proaches described in the book will all lead to
the same conclusion Do not lie cheat or steal
However as you will see some o the ethical
dilemmas that businesses ace are more com-
plicated It is with these more complicated
problems and dilemmas where the ethical per-
spective you believe is best will be tested
Some ethical decision-making approaches
are easier than others Some ocus on a limited
set o issues because the definition o what
constitutes justice or rights is simple As we
will see or example egoism tends to ocus on
the interests o the person Utilitarianism at-
tempts to counteract the shortcomings o
egoism by placing all relevant stakeholders in
the same status with respect to moralsWe use the term process to reer to the intra-
personal (within the person) and interpersonal
(between persons) activities which lead to a de-
cision or action or the action itsel A process
can be thought o as a sequence o action steps
that a person takes to accomplish a task When
aced with an ethical choice the task is to decide
and act on the question What is the right thing
to do in this situation You will be giventhrough reasoning and discussions with others
a chance to test these approaches on more com-
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1027
10486261048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
As with the other steps in the process this is
dominated by rational cognitive activity ac-
complished by the person
A ew observations can be made about thisFirst popular contemporary approaches or
most business ethics thinkers are dominated
by the rational cognitive activity o the person
Te social context is not wholly ignored
however it tends to be de-emphasized in avor
o the individual cognitive activity At times
this cognitive activity engages others through
dialogue or debate and in so doing becomes
somewhat political It is cognitive in that the
analysis and decision making occurs primarily
in the mind o each person It becomes po-
litical when as each person ollows the ana-
lytical steps he or she realizes that differences
o opinion exist Each attempts to persuade the
others o the validity o his or her point o view
Tis persuasion is seen as primarily a meeting
o rational minds but each at least potentially
that comes rom a different starting point
From such dialogue a way through the differ-
ences is then negotiated It is with this typical
contemporary individual cognitive approach
that this book is in contrast
Second not all contemporary approaches are
this cut and dried as portrayed here in the steps
o the process Some contemporary approaches
emphasize virtues Others such as egoism em-phasize what the person desires to achieve
placing this above other concerns Others such
as relativism and the social contract emphasize
social expectations Even when the various ap-
proaches are considered the rational cognitive
dimensions tend to dominate
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK
Te goal o the book is to help you understand
a biblical perspective so that you can make an
inormed decision as to what degree this per-
spective is plausible deensible and practical in
the contemporary market A related goal is to
provide a setting in which you can think care-
ully about your preerred ethical approach andin the process make a commitment o the heart
to an approach which you believe to be best
Another goal is to provide a ramework that
you can begin practicing now Tis is not just a
book about theory It helps you take the first
steps o practice in a social setting
Some o the ethical issues that companies
and their managers ace are relatively straight-
orward What is right or wrong may seem ob- vious With ew exceptions the ethical ap-
proaches described in the book will all lead to
the same conclusion Do not lie cheat or steal
However as you will see some o the ethical
dilemmas that businesses ace are more com-
plicated It is with these more complicated
problems and dilemmas where the ethical per-
spective you believe is best will be tested
Some ethical decision-making approaches
are easier than others Some ocus on a limited
set o issues because the definition o what
constitutes justice or rights is simple As we
will see or example egoism tends to ocus on
the interests o the person Utilitarianism at-
tempts to counteract the shortcomings o
egoism by placing all relevant stakeholders in
the same status with respect to moralsWe use the term process to reer to the intra-
personal (within the person) and interpersonal
(between persons) activities which lead to a de-
cision or action or the action itsel A process
can be thought o as a sequence o action steps
that a person takes to accomplish a task When
aced with an ethical choice the task is to decide
and act on the question What is the right thing
to do in this situation You will be giventhrough reasoning and discussions with others
a chance to test these approaches on more com-
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1127
General Introduction 10486261048627
plicated ethical questions You should know that
a biblical perspective is not necessarily simple It
may be one o the more comprehensive ap-
proaches to ethics It is capable o being appliedto a wide variety o situations Because o this in
some situations the biblical theme approach
may require more work than so-called secular
contemporary approaches
Accordingly this is a book that will guide you
in developing critical thinking about the various
ethical approaches and how to apply them
Given the theme o this book some readers may
take exception to this suggestion I you are aChristian and your idea o aith leads you to say
something like ldquoI God said it I believe it thatrsquos
good enough or merdquo then a suggestion o de-
veloping critical thinking to evaluate the biblical
approach to ethics may be offensive Te
premise o the book should not be orgotten
here A biblical perspective is offered as the
comprehensive authoritative standard o ethics
yet one that has the potential to be applied to a
wide variety o marketplace situations
Tat being said the natural response o any
reader is to think about the plausibility o such
a claim In the process you will not avoid
thinking about the plausibility o your own pre-
erred approach to deciding right and wrong in
business You may find that some o the ideas
you have previously held are not biblical Whatwill you do when you encounter this
An additional premise is that both Christians
and non-Christians take ethical actions and
make decisions that can be considered ethical
Christians do not have a monopoly on all things
right and wrong Tere are some points o
alignment between the biblical perspective and
some so-called secular approaches to ethics
used by non-Christians Accordingly this bookdoes not advocate that all non-Christian ways
o thinking and acting in the market are wrong
Another premise o this book is that aith
does not do away with the need or the
Christian to think Instead aith inorms
reason it is the oundation or reason Faithshould not destroy cognitive unction Said an-
other way biblical aith does not do away with
the need to ask questions and think careully
especially about issues o aith On the con-
trary biblical aith may spark the Christian to
ask more questions that need consideration
Te recommendation to contrast a biblical
perspective with contemporary secular ap-
proaches was addressed in the Bible itsel TeBible writers were aware that the primary readers
(or hearers) o the Bible story were living buying
selling working and playing among people who
did not accept biblical ideals Collectively they
present the Bible story itsel as an authoritative
and plausible alternative to competing world-
views o the days when the various books were
written or the narratives recorded took place
More than 104862610486271048624 times the Bible makes explicit
reerence to ldquoother godsrdquo Te God presented in
the Bible story is implicitly compared with the
philosophies that embrace the idea o many
divine beings Te Scripture passage at the be-
ginning o this chapter is just one illustration
among others throughout the Bible (in both Old
and New estaments) where the ways o God are
compared with the various ways o people whodo not ollow God But nowhere in the Bible are
we told to not think about what God says
Indeed the entire biblical record is designed
or just the opposite It is as though the Bible
writers as a group are saying to us Here is the
story about God and his ways Now consider this
long and careully with your whole being beore
you reject it in avor o something else Fur-
thermore donrsquot just think about it Open yourwhole heart and being to the possibility o em-
bracing the God who is the Author o this way
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1227
10486261048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Tis is not just about using pure reason alone
alk about it to other people So on the one hand
it is about a enjoying a relationship but rela-
tionships involve the whole person in actionwith others not just the powers o logic hidden
in one personrsquos mind On the other hand rela-
tionships do not short-circuit rational thinking
Using your whole being with all o its capabilities
and aculties body mind spirit emotions
social awareness perceptions and economic
awareness learn to accept the gif o aithulness
in a relationship with God and with others in
the marketplace even when it is not alwayscrystal clear what should be done
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH
Te biblical perspective on business ethics
sheds light on the meaning o aith itsel Just
as the apostle James wrote to the early Christian
church aith that is not evident in action is not
only useless it is dead4 Tis suggests that
belie that is not brought in to action is not
truly aith Biblical aith is not mere belie or
mental assent to the proposition that God
exists or belie in the truthulness o what the
Bible says when it talks about God or belie in
Jesus as your personal Savior Tis is a part but
not the whole Biblical aith is more
Biblical aith is not a eeling o certainty that
you have correct belies Tus biblical aith isnot a mere sense o psychological certainty
which you use to remove all questions even
the difficult ones Rather biblical aith involves
living a lie that is committed to a relationship
with God and his way o living even when we
do not eel especially close to him and espe-
cially when we still have questions You may
encounter a ew ambiguous ethical and social
situations or which the one ldquocorrect answerrdquo isnot plain to see But this does not remove our
responsibility to do our best with the help o
the community around us to make decisions
that are aithul
Like the biblical story themes explored in
this book aith is action-oriented not just psy-chological or emotional affection It involves
committed aithulness o your whole being in
a social context In addition true aith is not
just an individualistic way o personal thinking
it is commitment lived in community where
the great biblical story themes are shown in
action Accordingly aith is not merely what
you say it is what you do with others that
shows in action what you say Tis level ocommitment is not something that humans
can produce o their own will What an
amazing gif o God aithulness is
All Christians are called to be witnesses o
God However there are times and places in
the business world where it may be inappro-
priate to openly talk about religious aith In
such situations every Christian can still speak
on behal o the character o God drawing at-
tention to the amazing principles o a flour-
ishing lie When you promote these principles
advocate on behal o them in your organi-
zation and integrate them into your own habitsyou are telling about Jesus Christ just as surely
as when you mention his name
Faith faithfulness in action
When you promote these principles
advocate on behalf of them in your
organization and integrate them
into your own habits you are telling
about Jesus Christ just as surely aswhen you mention his name
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1327
General Introduction 10486261048629
o start the task o critical thinking about
the biblical story perspective let us consider
the biblical portrayal o an important process
As you read reflect and talk with others aboutthe issues raised in this book you may find
yoursel coming back to this again and again
In act it is the biblical portrayal o the process
which is one o the central contributions o this
book to the field o business ethics
ETHICS AND THE HEART
Tat the scriptural approach to business ethics
involves more than the use o pure reasonalone is addressed in the Bible Te biblical
process o making decisions regarding ethics
social justice and social responsibility is rooted
in the concept o the heart and its care by a
person and by a community o like-minded
aithul people
Te heart is the seat o decision making
judgment and moral commitments It is in the
heart that a person deals with personal and
perceptual biases battles the tendency toward
sel-deception considers how to relate to other
people evaluates the behavior o others in the
community and considers what is right and
wrong and provides the courage to act on what
the person believes to be right
Te heart representing the whole person is
the center o the ethical process seen rom theperspective o one person in community Te
ancient Hebrew idea o the heart means the
ldquoinner personrdquo signiying in part that all o
liersquos experiences in their totality are embraced
by controlled by and enjoyed in the heart It is
as i a real whole person and this personrsquos
awareness o the entire community resides in
the heart directing evaluating deciding acting
and responding to the personrsquos actions as wellas the actions o others Ethical action by one
person springs rom a heart that is transormed
under the power o God and in dialogue with
a aith community o persons who are open to
being transormed as a community
Notice how the ollowing Scripture empha-sizes the whole person in a social context
Hear O Israel Te L983151983154983140 is our God the
L983151983154983140 is one You shall love the L983151983154983140 your
God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might Tese words
which I am commanding you today shall
be on your heart You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk o
them when you sit in your house and whenyou walk by the way and when you lie
down and when you rise up (Deut 10486301048628-1048631
see also Ex 1048625104863210486261048624 Deut 104862910486271048627)5
Tis idea that the whole person engages in a
response to God and to the community was
also expressed by Jesus Christ
And He said to him ldquolsquoYou shall love the
L983151983154983140 your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your mindrsquordquo
(Mt 1048626104862610486271048631 see Mk 1048625104862610486271048624-10486271048627 Lk 1048625104862410486261048631)
Certainly an intrapersonal cognitive or in-
trospective dimension is important Humans
have an amazing capacity to discern judge
evaluate reason critique compare and con-
trast But the biblical metaphor o the heart
communicates that the whole person is in- volved with ethical decisions and action Te
heart is the spring o action
Further the heart is located in the person
but it takes into consideration the hearts o
other persons in the community With the
whole heart each person is responsible or
taking a leadership posture with respect to
right and wrong Te whole person is in-
volved in interpreting the statements o Godrsquoswill Te whole person bears the responsi-
bility or action
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1427
10486261048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
Te biblical perspective is that the aithul
ollower o God will keep the heart Keeping
the heart means allowing God to write on the
heart the principles o his character designedor us to imitate or our own well-being
Watch over your heart with all diligence
For rom it flow the springs o lie (Prov
104862810486261048627 see also Prov 10486281048628 1048626104863210486261048630 Deut 10486281048633)
How blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and
night (Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Te law o the L983151983154983140 is perect restoring
the soul
Te testimony o the L983151983154983140 is sure making
wise the simple
Te precepts o the L983151983154983140 are right
rejoicing the heartTe commandment o the L983151983154983140 is pure
enlightening the eyes (Ps 104862510486331048631-1048632)
Te law o his God is in his heart
His steps do not slip (Ps 1048627104863110486271048625)
Your word I have treasured in my heart
Tat I may not sin against You (Ps 10486251048625104863310486251048625)
I shall run the way o Your commandments
For You will enlarge my heart (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048626)
Your testimonies also are my delight
Tey are my counselors (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628 see
also Prov 10486261048625-10486251048626)
Tese concepts rom the Old estament are
consistent with what is ound in the New es-
tament Jesus taught that it is out o the heart
actions in social context come (Mt 1048625104862610486271048629 1048625104862910486251048633
Mk 104863110486261048625) It is the heart on which God will
write his Law to transorm us (Heb 1048625104862410486251048630)
Te Bible story portrays the wise person as
one who is diligent in keeping his or her heart
because it cannot always be trusted i lef
merely to human devising In contrast in the
Bible ools are oolish because they trust theirown hearts as they are they do not care or the
heart using the principles o Godrsquos command-
ments and they do not get counsel rom
Scripture or rom other trusted community
leaders who are on the pathway to ollowing
Godrsquos principles or well-being
Te biblical metaphor o the heart reers to
the location o several elements o human
experience
bull undamental belies
bull cognitive reasoning
bull judgments and evaluations
bull decisions
bull virtues
bull will
bull memory o personal experiences with other
people
bull perceptions o others in the community
bull personal biases
bull awareness o interpersonal relationships
bull commitments to God and to others
bull intuitions
bull conscience
bull human spirit
bull emotions6
THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
In biblical perspective while it is the personrsquos
responsibility to watch over the heart diligently
ultimately the aithul heart and all it contains
or good comes rom and is developed by God
It is worth repeating Not only is the initial ac-
ceptance o God in Jesus Christ part o the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1527
General Introduction 10486261048631
gif o aith Te transormation o the heart
toward the actions o aithulness also is a gif
Accordingly the person who desires to keep
his or her heart commits this choice o al-lowing God to work on the heart to transorm
it Tis is the ongoing work o aith (aith-
ulness) It is God who puts his law in the
heart7 it is God who enlarges the moral ca-
pacity o the heart such that to use scriptural
imagery the person walks and even runs
along the way outlined by God
Keeping the heart is also achieved through
a process o continual reflection on GodrsquosWord while living lie in community Te oun-
dation or this lies in three areas First the ex-
plicit biblical directions or action should be
ollowed when the issues are clear Tese ex-
plicit directions must be allowed into the heart
Second biblical narratives provide us with ex-
amples o lessons that can be drawn or our
actions Tese stories illustrate the principles
in action and the social impact o certain
themes Tird biblical story themes embody
both the explicit biblical guidance and the
lessons rom narratives Tese themes carry
the essential messages o the narratives and the
explicit teachings It is these biblical story
themes that are in ocus in this book
When difficult situations are encountered
listening to others in the community who are
also ollowing God becomes an important parto keeping the heart8 Tese wise persons
promote a flourishing lie in the community by
providing counsel that has passed through
their reflection o the themes rom Godrsquos Word
Tis brings them joy and provides you with
wisdom ldquoA wise man will hear and increase in
learning and a man o understanding will ac-
quire wise counselrdquo (Prov 10486251048629)9 ldquoDeceit is in the
heart o those who devise evil but counselorso peace have joyrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486261048624)
Action begins in the heart Tus ulti-
mately it is out o the heart bathed in Godrsquos
Word and tested through dialogue with
trusted wise persons that ethical actions
flow10 But action involves other dimensions
o the person too Tis biblical ethics process
can be illustrated by figure I1048626 which por-
trays the ethics process as seen rom the
point o view o a person As we will see a
biblical perspective on ethics includes the
personal (individual) perspective But it also
goes beyond this to embrace a process under-
taken in the entire community
Become wisein ethics by
saturating
your heart
with the
counsel from
Godrsquos Word
Reflect
thoughtfully
on the Bible
guides for
ethical action
Get additionalwisdom from
leaders who
reflect on
Godrsquos Word
Wisdom
leadership is
shared among
leaders of
government
religion and
economics
Keep yourheart with all
diligence
Allow God to
renew and
grow your
heart Use
your heart to
reflect on the
principles of
right action
Act faithfullyon what you
believe to
be right
Observe the
impact of
your actions
on others
in the
community
Fig I2 The biblical ethics process from a personal perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1627
10486261048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
THE COMMUNITY
983080SOCIAL GROUP983081 PERSPECTIVE
While personal responsibility is part o the
context o the biblical narratives pure indi- vidualism is not11 Ethical decisions and ac-
tions are individual but this does not mean
that the personal perspective is the only view-
point o Scripture In spite o this some Chris-
tians approach the ethics process as i it is pri-
marily an individual matter
While the heart is the metaphor which o-
cuses on the personal perspective it is the
metaphor o walking or ldquothe wayrdquo or journeywhich conveys the community perspective o
the ethics process12 Walking involves more
than thinking It requires action in a com-
munity It means going out among other
people communing with them engaging them
in conversations about lie and lie activities It
also means taking actions in their presence
(afer thoughtul consideration) which show
who you are and what you stand or When
combined with the personal perspective as aprocess ethics becomes both thinking and
doing in a community In this way the action
side o ethics is not rash thoughtless action
Rather it is action based on thoughtul
awareness o how other persons in community
see the matter
Te ollowing ideas show that the process o
discerning right rom wrong in the market-
place cannot be purely an individual matter incomplicated situations First all ethics involves
behavior in a social context I in a social
context at merely a glance we are compelled to
ask how can the ethics process be purely a per-
sonal matter In truth it cannot
Second the person contemplating a certainaction has a biased point o view representing
a particular interest based in personal needs
and personal experiences Other persons (we
can call them stakeholders) may have different
points o view representing different interests
and lie experiences Whenever two sets o
stakeholders have competing interests we get
an ethical problem Finding a way through
this problem requires a conversation amongthe stakeholders who have different interests
An example o competing interests can be
ound in some buyer-seller relationships em-
ployer-employee relationships and company-
society relationships
Tird the rightness or wrongness o certain
marketplace actions is not immediately ap-
parent Some marketplace actions have both
desirable and undesirable consequences Some
decisions may require the decision maker to
choose between the better o two good things
or the lesser o two bad things Te most com-
plicated ethical dilemmas may require both
types o choices Assuming that more than the
decision maker is affected by the action other
people may have an opinion about the decision
Fourth shaping public policy (laws andregulations) based on ethical principles to
minimize the risks o unethical behavior re-
quires a conversation among lawmakers and
interest groups who represent the various
points o view on the ethical issues at stake
Shaping international regulations laws and
policies will require a much more complicated
lengthy discussion
Finally history reveals that group conversa-tions do take place about ethical matters Al-
though Christians point to the same biblical
ETHICS
x thinking and doing
xldquothe heartrdquo and ldquothe walkrdquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1727
General Introduction 10486261048633
record as the oundation or their belie and
practice we can see that down through history
Christian thinkers who wish to be aithul to
that biblical record have had different points o
view or points o emphasis when compared
with thinkers who lived at different times and
places One might even see the roughly two
thousand years o Christian dialogue on ethical
matters as being a very slow conversation
about difficult ethical matters
Wisdom or ethics is not limited to what a
person in isolation rom the community is able
to learn It is a person-in-community process
and a collective community process o gettingand using wisdom13 Trough conversations
about social behaviors aith community
members develop a shared belie regarding the
origin o ethical principles (ie God) Tis is the
communityrsquos way o voicing a belie in existence
o absolute objective standards o conduct
Further it is the communityrsquos way o positioning
this absolute standard outside the persons and
the community as a whole while being managed
in the community through the participation o
persons In terms o the thesis o this book it is
the collection o biblical story themes which
orm the content o community dialogue on
ethical matters Tese themes are the archi-
tecture o the narratives which are ormed when
community members act (see fig I1048627)
Community members accept the en Com-mandments as the undamental ethical prin-
ciples that must be ollowed But some actions
at least on the surace need a thorough explo-
INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL
x Interpersonal a process that occurs in the context of one or more relationships between
persons through conversations x Intrapersonal a process that occurs inside a personrsquos thinking or self cognitive rational
emotional
Participate in a
shared belief
among community
members
regarding the
foundation ofethics Objective
moral standards
are from God but
voluntarily
continually and
thoughtfully
examined and
embraced widely
throughout the
community
Foundation
principles are
continually
protected and
interpreted by
persons in thecommunity Wise
persons (political
leaders religious
leaders prophets
and heads of
household) take a
leadership role
Other community
members carefully
evaluate the
counsel they
receive
Community
members apply
interpreted
principles to
specific
situationsWhen necessary
community
members
dialogue and
debate the
issues relevant
to the applica-
tion of the
principles
Decisions are
made and
actions are
taken Commu-
nity members
evaluate theimpact of the
action on
persons and on
the community
Community
dialogue
continues Over
time shared
beliefs are
refined and
become more
sophisticated
Fig I3 The biblical ethics process from a community perspective
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1827
10486271048624 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied Tis requires members o the com-
munity to have conversations ounded on the
same starting point the principles that oster alie-giving relationship with God and with
each other Tis is a community process o
testing ideas reflection debate decision
making observing results and urther re-
flection Tus ethics is as much a community
interpersonal relational process as it is a cog-
nitive intrapersonal cognitive process
We see examples o the interpersonal
process at work in Scripture Abraham and Lot
have a conversation about what to do regarding
the conflict that had arisen over scarce re-
sources or their animals Tis was an im-
portant economic issue Trough this conver-
sation Abraham takes a leadership position by
recommending that a geographic division be
made between the two amilies14
Te experience o the exodus in part re-moves Israel rom a situation in which their
community conversations about ethics were not
allowed to a place where it is allowed and en-
couraged15 Te people took ull advantage o
this newound reedom to talk16 In these stories
we learn that all persons affected by a situation
can become parties to the conversation that
takes place regarding what is right and wrong
Te verse rom Deuteronomy 10486301048631 highlightedabove reers to the interpersonal dimension
Ethical principles are to be a matter o social
conversation not only within the amily but also
in society as people went about their business
walking ldquoby the wayrdquo Moses instituted an or-
ganizational restructuring so that leadersamong the people who were considered wise in
the ways o God would share in the process o
giving advice and mediating between disputing
parties ldquoYou shall select out o all the people
able men who ear God men o truth those
who hate dishonest gain and you shall place
these over them as leaders o thousands o hun-
dreds o fifies and o tensrdquo (Ex 1048625104863210486261048625)
Moses warned the people against discon-tinuing communal dialogue ldquoYou shall not do
at all what we are doing here today every man
doing whatever is right in his own eyesrdquo (Deut
104862510486261048632) Later under the judges Israel learned
the hard lesson what happens when people
stop taking counsel17 Still later Solomon
warned ldquoTe way o a ool is right in his own
eyes but a wise man is he who listens to
counselrdquo (Prov 1048625104862610486251048629)
Other Bible writers emphasize the impor-
tance o counselors Solomon mentions the
importance o seeking counsel rom wise
people18 Te king is responsible or advo-
cating on behal o the poor and anyone who
cannot speak or himsel or hersel19 When
the civil rulers do not participate in this com-
munity conversation about the poor prophetsrise up to rebuke them Te prophet Isaiah
oretells the time when God would restore the
flourishing lie to his people Te presence o
counselors was an important step in the
process ldquoTen I will restore your judges as at
the first and your counselors as at the be-
ginning afer that you will be called the city o
righteousness a aithul cityrdquo (Is 104862510486261048630) Isaiah
identified the coming Messiah as a counselorwho would come among the people20 In con-
trast to the wise counselors available to help
You shall teach them diligently to your
sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk
by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up (Deut 67)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 1927
General Introduction 10486271048625
the person who wishes to be aithul to God
the Bible describes the presence o wicked
counselors who advise oolish courses o
action
21
Isaiah comments that when the peopleare taken into captivity God would remove
rom them the counselors22 Removing the very
thing that is needed in complicated ethical de-
cisions is indeed a drastic punishment
From a practical point o view simple
ethical questions are answered directly by the
law o God Donrsquot kill Donrsquot steal Donrsquot tell
lies Donrsquot cheat23 Te more complicated
ethical dilemmas need more thorough explo-ration o how biblical principles should be ap-
plied A more thorough exploration means
that it is more likely that community persons
are brought into the conversation24 In turn
this means that someone will need to take the
lead or share the lead in the conversations It is
in community where decisions are made about
the difficult problems not that every difficult
problem needs to be shouted rom the town
square Instead a small group o persons can
gather in private around the one tasked with
making a difficult decision Te story that
emerges rom such conversations and the re-
sulting actions become evidence o how im-
portant is community (even the small-group
variety) Furthermore this story that emerges
becomes an important social oundation orthe obligations that are shared
Walking in the community having conver-
sations involves testing ideas reflection debate
decision making observing results and urther
reflection25 It involves putting relationships on
the line when injustices occur It is the relation-
ships themselves that are at stake when ethical
issues arise o nurture and protect the rela-
tionship someone must lead in the conver-sation Te prophets and Jesus Christ all dis-
cerned the validity o what others in the
community were putting orward as guidance
based on their understanding o Godrsquos law
Tey were not silent instead they participated
in the community dialogue regarding rightand wrong actions26 Tus there is no me-
chanical process by which we carry with us an
outline or list which we apply in a decision-
tree ashion or the complex issues
Such dialogue orms an ongoing broader
conversation in and around the community
regarding shared concerns27 It involves
judges at the city gates28 the king on the
throne29 prophets speaking out and parentsteaching their children30 Te process is suited
or all social settings in an environment that
is continually changing in terms o tech-
nology politics science commerce religion
philosophy art music literature and every
other human endeavor or expression Te
process is a orm o communion not only
with each other but also ultimately with God
Our walk is not only a journey among
humans it is also a walk that takes place in
the presence o God as a person holds on to
another person as they walk together31
Ultimately ethics is not just what we think
It is about what we do in a social setting Ac-
cordingly when we ace a complex ethical
dilemma and in sorting it out we engage
others in the conversation this becomes thefirst thing to do in the process It can be the
action step which provides us the wisdom
political support and perhaps courage needed
or the other actions which ollow In some
cases this simple action o starting a conver-
sation with others may be the most important
action one can take in the ethics process It is
the action step which makes possible the
telling o stories which in turn communicatecharacter and make possible the transor-
mation o character in others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2027
10486271048626 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
o summarize what we have observed thus
ar the biblical perspective on deciding what
is right and wrong in the marketplace is both
an intrapersonal process o our heart and aninterpersonal process during our walk in a
social context o the extent to which persons
engage in conversations about right and
wrong the communal process occurs at the
same time as the personal process Te com-
munal process involves community leaders In
Bible times these were judges counselors
prophets teachers civil leaders priests and
heads o households
In the personal process simple ethical ques-
tions can be answered directly by the basic
principles in the Bible Community leaders
participate in conversation with different
points o view and when the issues are compli-
cated o simulate this first action step the
section ldquoDown to the Nitty-Grittyrdquo is offered
or the purpose o practicing the process
DOWN TO THE NITTY983085GRITTY
Tis section o the book will reappear in all
but the last chapter It is modeled afer the
two interrelated aspects o the ethics process
described above Tis is where you are given
a chance to practice o spark intrapersonal
reflection and the interpersonal community
conversation a ew questions will be asked in
this eature relating to the practical dimen-
sions o the chapter topic Here is the first ex-ample (see table I1048625)
THE CURRENT CRISIS
Tere is a crisis o business ethics among con-
temporary businesses and their managers In
spite o calls or reorm at all levels including
changing what is taught in business schools it
does not appear that the trend will change any
time soon In any given week we hear stories
about people who do unethical things in
business Tese appear in the local and na-
tional news media Just read the Wall Street
Initiating a conversation with others
about a complex ethical issue is the
first action step in ethics
Table I1 The ethics process intrapersonal and interpersonal
Keeping Your Heart An Intrapersonal Process
Walking in the Community An Interpersonal Process
bull What commitment have you made in your heart tobe faithful to God
bull How do you feel about the two-part process(intrapersonal and interpersonal) when decidingwhat is right and wrong
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter What makes the actions of the ATMthieves wrong
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of thechapter Is it wrong to use Jasonrsquos unsecured WiFisignal to access the Internet without his per-mission If so why
bull Has your circle of friends made the samecommitment in their hearts to be faithful to God Ifnot on what basis do you continue to associatewith them Can you be friends with someone whodoes not share your level of commitment to God
bull When was the last time you and other people gotinvolved in a conversation about something thatwas right or wrong What was the topic Whotook a leadership role in the conversation What ifanything was the outcome of the conversation
bull Think about Scenario A at the beginning of thechapter In what way if at all would it benefit youto talk with someone else about what is right orwrong in this case
bull Think about Scenario B at the beginning of the
chapter With whom might you talk about this tomore clearly know what is the right thing to doGet in a group now and discuss this scenarioWhat is the outcome of that conversation
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2127
General Introduction 10486271048627
Journal or any business weekly magazine and
you will see examples
It has become such a problem that calls or
renewed ocus on business ethics and businessreorms have come rom many sectors o so-
ciety including leaders in business Te calls
have become more intense and or good
reason People in business customers media
government indeed most groups o people in
society have experienced an erosion o trust in
business primarily because o the scandals the
gross wrongdoing and the blatant disregard or
standards o right and wrong Employees seethese things rom the inside o their organiza-
tions and are disheartened and discouraged
Business school graduates enter a market-
place in which sensitivities toward ethical
scandals have never been higher Yet this
same marketplace is riddled with persons and
organizations that will stretch the ethical
boundaries to the edges o what society is
willing to tolerate Young business proes-
sionals entering the workorce may be en-
couraged to take a relativist or egoist approach
all in the name o supporting laudable organi-
zational or personal goals
Just as there is a crisis in business ethics so
too there is a crisis among Christians regarding
what is right and wrong Some Christians
seemingly without thinking have embracedsecular approaches to business ethics In some
cases they have embraced approaches to ethics
that are opposed to the biblical oundation o
Christian aith and practice
Careully evaluating the commonly ac-
cepted secular ways o thinking will give
readers a chance to recognize in themselves
some o the same patterns o thinking In this
process the flaws o secular approaches can beevaluated and readers can come to clariy what
they believe and why
Tis brings us to the engine o this book
Te biblical story themes Tese are called
story themes in this book because they are in-
tegral not only to specific stories and teachingso the Bible but also to the overall big story o
the Bible the story about God and what a rela-
tionship with God is all about
THE VALUE OF BIBLICAL
STORY THEMES
Scripture story themes are valuable or several
reasons Scriptural themes offer the reader an
unusual way to saturate the heart with scripturalthinking Te more we connect Scripture with
business thinking and practice (it is assumed)
the more we will think and act biblically when
we are in the marketplace the more the Holy
Spirit can bring to our memory what we have
learned32 the more alive our conscience will be
to do the right thing the stronger our deense
against doing the wrong thing33 the stronger
our moral imagination will become the more
capable we will be to counteract our inherent
perceptual and judgment biases that lead us un-
wittingly into unethical practices and the better
able we will be to encourage others34
Story themes interrelate interweave and
sometimes overlap each other At other times
they interpret each other In these ways they
become a complex canvas on which the Biblepaints the essential message o God or our times
Biblical themes promote the movement o
learning rom schooling into the arena o char-
acter education where hearts minds and
whole lives can be transormed35 Te dis-
tinction between schooling and education is
an important one Schooling is the setting in
which you learn inormation such as principles
o accounting economic theory or estimatingthe investment risks o particular opportu-
nities Education is the process o having the
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2227
10486271048628 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
whole lie transormed rom the inside out by
the renewing creative power o God Edu-
cation is the process whereby the image o God
is restored in us or service on this earth andor service in the lie to come36
Biblical themes are valuable or unlockingsome difficult and ofen misunderstood pas-
sages o Scripture Without the rich deep per-
spective that these themes offer a superficial
reading o Scripture results in the development
o bad theology and bad policies
Scriptural themes are so pervasive
throughout the Bible that they help us avoid
cherry picking verses here and there to suit our
private goals In short these themes help us
maintain the authority o Scripture
It has been said that you become like the
person whom you admire most As we spend
time admiring the beautiul elements o Godrsquos
character (expressed in story themes) we
become changed By continually ocusing on
these themes especially as revealed in the lie o
Jesus Christ we become changed transormedinto his image37 Scripture themes continually
keep beore the mind the character o God in
Christ as seen in both the Old estament and
the New estament38 By continually beholding
the character o God the community comes to
know God and as a result becomes changed39
Evangelical Christians sometimes reer to
this as Christ ldquoliving in their heartsrdquo For some
this becomes a powerul mystical experienceas they sense the close presence o God in their
lie Tey see how their behavior has changed
and they are energized by the realization that
the power o God is at work40 Tis becomes
the basis o witnessing
Others who do not experience the intensemystical presence o God can still come to
relate to the idea o an indwelling Christ Tese
come to understand that the primary charac-
teristics o Christ and those o God the Father
are starting to take root in their own habits o
action For both types o persons it is the bib-
lical themes that they start to relate to Biblical
themes reveal the character o God41 Te
interplay o one theme against another showsthe aesthetic beauty o Godrsquos plan or a flour-
ishing lie ake even one theme away and you
are lef with a diminished conception o God
Accordingly the elements o Godrsquos character
(comprising o the themes) become the basis
o our witness in action and witness in words
Regardless o your religious experience (or
lack thereo) you will likely see alignment be-
tween some o the biblical story themes and
the themes that all humans are interested in
Conversations in the community regarding
ethical matters tend to cluster around certain
themes present in the community (eg justice
rights loyalty aithulness) some o which are
the same as the biblical themes
I just one or two biblical themes are used in
the ethics process the danger is that the morecomplicated ethical issues will be short-changed
Discussants will oversimpliy or miss certain
questions I the ull range o biblical themes is
employed in discussion o the complicated
ethical issues more o Scripture is available to
guide ethical behavior One thing should
become apparent afer reading the whole book
Biblical themes orm a cluster o perspectives
that are very broad in their application Teymay be the broadest set o principles compared
with any other single system o ethics
Education is the process whereby
the image of God is restored in us for
service on this earth and for service
in the life to come
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2327
General Introduction 10486271048629
Compressing the twelve themes into just
two or three would result in loss o under-
standing In our desire or efficiency we would
quickly sacrifice richness and ethical effec-tiveness Te biblical themes that represent
Godrsquos character and the believerrsquos conduct are
rich in texture Tey are interrelated and inter-
dependent but not identical Because o this
they are difficult to separate
In addition to these reasons why the themes
are important we see an additional rationale
Te prospect o becoming amiliar with bib-
lical story and its major themes offers the op-portunity to saturate the heart with Scripture
in a way that reading a ew verses here and
there cannot do alone Tis is considered in
several Bible passages
Tese words which I am commanding you
today shall be on your heart You shall
teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk o them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the way and
when you lie down and when you rise up
(Deut 10486301048630-1048631)
You shall thereore impress these words o
mine on your heart and on your soul and
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as rontals on your
orehead (Deut 1048625104862510486251048632)
How blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel o the wicked
Nor stand in the path o sinners
Nor sit in the seat o scoffers
But his delight is in the law o the L983151983154983140
And in His law he meditates day and night
(Ps 10486251048625-1048626)
Saturating the heart with Scripture is partic-
ularly relevant to work in the world o business
as shown in these passages rom one o the most
amous portions o Scripture Psalm 104862510486251048633bull Business is where our eet walk every day
ldquoYour word is a lamp to my eet and a light
to my pathrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048629)
bull Business requires wisdom rom counselors
ldquoYour testimonies also are my delight they
are my counselorsrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048628)
bull Te business environment offers temptations or
alse dealing ldquoRemove the alse way rom meand graciously grant me Your lawrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486261048633)
bull Business offers temptations or selfish gain
ldquoIncline my heart to Your testimonies and
not to dishonest gainrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486271048630)
bull Business results in cash flow ldquoTe law o
Your mouth is better to me than thousands
o gold and silver piecesrdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486311048626)
THE MORE WE CONNECT SCRIPTURE WITH BUSINESS
x the more we will think biblically when we are in the marketplace
x the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our memory what we have learned
x the more alive our conscience will be to do the right thing
x the stronger our defense will be against doing the wrong thing
x the stronger our moral imagination will become
x the more capable we will be to counteract perceptual and judgment biases
x the more capable we will be to encourage others
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2427
10486271048630 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
bull Business is a competitive environment that
requires wisdom ldquoYour commandments
make me wiser than my enemies or they
are ever minerdquo (Ps 10486251048625104863310486331048632)bull Business requires understanding ldquoFrom
Your precepts I get understanding thereore
I hate every alse wayrdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486241048628)
bull Business is an agent o shalom (peace) ldquoTose
who love Your law have great peace and
nothing causes them to stumblerdquo (Ps 104862510486251048633104862510486301048629)
Biblical themes reveal that the Bible re-
spects the material and economic dimensiono lie experience Tese themes are integral to
lie in the marketplaces o the world Indeed
these themes are relevant to all social relation-
ships Temes explored in this text are appli-
cable to both buyers and sellers
Te themes are grounded in the writings o
Moses but are carried orward rom there to
more than three-quarters o the books o the
Bible Tese themes are employed romGenesis through Revelation Tey are iden-
tified by two important kings in the Psalms
and the Proverbs Tey are present in the apoc-
alyptic literature as well as in historical narra-
tives and poetry in the Bible Following the
lead o the prophet Moses the later prophets
use these themes as the bases or their mes-
sages Still later the identity and work o Jesus
are based on these themes
More than five hundred times these themes
appear in the Bible in groups Here are just a
ew notable examples
Righteousness and justice are the oun-
dation o Your throne loving kindness and
truth go beore You (Ps 1048632104863310486251048628)
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus
who became to us wisdom rom God and
righteousness and sanctification and re-
demption (1048625 Cor 104862510486271048624)
Stand firm thereore having girded your
loins with truth and having put on the
breastplate o righteousness and having
shod your eet with the preparation o the
gospel o peace (Eph 104863010486251048628-10486251048629)
And they sang the song o Moses the
bond-servant o God and the song o the
Lamb saying
ldquoGreat and marvelous are Your works
O Lord God the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways
King o the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862510486291048627)
We should be cautious about claiming that
we know everything about God once we
become amiliar with these themes Scripture
tells us that the ull inormation about God is
not perectly knowable42 Tis awareness
should lead us to humility What we know o
God through Scripture is true but our
knowledge may not be complete
HOW THE THEMES WERE SELECTED
Scholars have catalogued scores o Scripture
themes But which themes are relevant to
business ethics
Tree criteria seemed important when iden-
tiying the relevant Bible themes First themes
identified are those that the Bible itsel asso-ciates with our conduct It is our conduct in all
spheres o lie (including the marketplace) that
is considered Tus these themes apply equally
to amily relationships leisure pursuits and our
work in the aith community
Second themes associated with the char-
acter o God were selected since some o the
biggest questions in the Bible relate to his char-
acter Who is God and what is he like Is Godrsquosway o relating and living the best way to
promote a flourishing lie in community when
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2527
General Introduction 10486271048631
compared with other ways It is the character
o God that is in ocus in Scripture and that we
are encouraged to imitate43 When Godrsquos image
is restored in human beings it is his characterthat becomes the key moral dimension
Tird the themes are associated directly
with Jesus Christ and his work Jesus the
central figure in the biblical story and the
author and finisher o our aith is the clearest
expression o what the character o God is like
in human experience44 I we are to emulate
God we will find the guidance we need in the
lie and teachings o Jesus Te biblical supportor these themes can be ound in appendix B
and in the notes or chapters three and our
he intersection o these three criteria
can be illustrated by the ollowing diagram
(see ig I1048628)45
When these selection criteria were applied
the ollowing themes emerge
bull cosmic conflict
bull creation
bull covenant relationships
bull holiness
bull shalom
bull sabbath
bull justice
bull righteousness
bull truth
bull wisdom
bull loving kindness
bull redemption
In chapter three we will consider the
question o why so many themes For now con-
sider that the biblical story themes are appro-
priate to consider or specific business ethicaldilemmas so-called dirty tricks legal issues
social responsibility issues and related case
studies Tese themes provide the ramework
to consider practical ethical challenges that or-
ganizations ace in a global environment In
biblical thinking business is not separate rom
the rest o lie Lie is an integrated whole ex-
perience involving all social relationships reli-
gious aith economic endeavors international
relations and physical and mental health
INTRODUCTION REVIEW
QUESTIONS
1 What is the particular perspective that this
book takes
2 In Scripture what is the relationship be-
tween ethics and the metaphor o theheart
3 What does the metaphor o ldquowalking by
the wayrdquo signiy in Scripture
4 Describe the biblical ethics process rom
the personal perspective
5 What is the biblical ethics process seen
rom the community perspective
6 What is the current crisis in business ethics
or people entering the marketplace
The
Believerrsquos
Conduct
The
Character
of God
Jesus Christ
and
His Work
The
Intersection
Point
Biblicalthemes that
guide business
Fig I4 Biblical theme selection criteria
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2627
10486271048632 B983157983155983145983150983141983155983155 E983156983144983145983139983155 983145983150 B983145983138983148983145983139983137983148 P983141983154983155983152983141983139983156983145983158983141
7 What is the value o biblical story themes
or studying business ethics
8 How were the biblical story themes se-
lected or this book
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Te book asserts that it is not only ac-
ceptable but also required to use our minds
to think careully about Godrsquos way o de-
ciding right and wrong Do you agree or
disagree with this
2 I the principles o right and wrong actionare given by God and because o this these
principles are objective and authoritative
why does the community need to partici-
pate in the ethics process
3 When might community dialogue be most
necessary in the ethics process4 Consider the criteria to select the biblical
themes explored in this book Are these
three criteria valid
5 What elements o biblical teaching i any
seem to be missing rom the ethics process
described here
6 Afer all that is said about the involvement
o the community in the ethics process towhat degree is ethics primarily a personal
process
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727
8202019 Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective By Michael E Cafferky - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbusiness-ethics-in-biblical-perspective-by-michael-e-cafferky-excerpt 2727