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Adam Smith’s religion drove his prescriptions for a virtuous humanity and a free and flourishing society. Jan van Vliet examines how the practical implications of these strike a common chord with Scripture.

Endorsements

“Van Vliet’s study of Adam Smith masterfully uncovers this influential progenitor’s entire philosophy, from economics to ethics. Flying in the face of caricatures such as laissez-faire and raw capitalism, so often falsely attributed to Smith, this reading reveals how profoundly concerned this philosopher was for the poor and the destitute, as well as other effects of social injustice. At the same time, van Vliet sharply criticizes Smith for his lack of a robust Reformed theological undergirding. The lasting effect of such an honest appraisal of Smith’s work is the timeliness of his views, especially in the face of our present cultural upheavals.”

—William Edgar, Professor of Apologetics Emeritus, Westminster Theological Seminary

“Jan van Vliet has written an excellent work both expositing and summarizing the work of Adam Smith and offering a Reformed Protestant engagement and critique of Smith, with special attention given to the thought of Cornelius Van Til. If you suspect that what you were taught on Adam Smith in your college economics class might be a tad askew, this book is for you. Van Vliet works through the key insights of Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments and Wealth of Nations, and argues persuasively that Smith was concerned with the proper ordering and prospering of the culture as a whole, particularly with justice for the poor and underprivileged. Kudos to van Vliet for a super book.”

—Bradley G. Green, Professor of Theological Studies, Union University; Visiting Professor of Philosophy and Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“I’m glad to see a volume in the Great Thinkers series on Adam Smith as his influence on contemporary culture is immense. Jan Van Vliet gives a compact and helpful summary of Smith’s life and main ideas, and his Christian theistic evaluation will I hope provoke more theologians to engage with his work.”

—Paul Oslington, Professor of Economics and Theology, Alphacrucis University College

The Author

Jan van Vliet

Jan van Vliet (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is professor of economics emeritus at Dordt University and past professor of theology at Prairie College in Alberta. He is the author of The Rise of Reformed System: The Intellectual Heritage of William Ames and the translator of Abraham Kuyper’s On Islam.

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