What, to the Christian, Is Economic Efficiency?

Abstract: I argue that Christian economists should use efficiency positively, not normatively. Positive efficiency is vital for the economic way of thinking. Normative efficiency, however, is dispensable. It does not help us make, or reason about, moral tradeoffs independently from Christian teachings. We should simply follow those teachings. There is no need to link them to efficiency. I survey important works by two Christian economists, Paul Heyne and Mary Hirschfeld, who help us understand why positive efficiency is important but normative efficiency is not. I conclude by recasting the positive‒normative distinction to address the concerns of Christian economists.

Key words: Christianity, Cost‒Benefit Analysis, Economic Efficiency, Normative, Positive, Property Rights, Welfare Economics

JEL codes: A13, A20, D63, Z12