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Novak argues convincingly that democratic capitalism in America and a few other western nations, can only be understood as an interdependent interweaving of free market economics, democratic political structures, and pluralistic moral-cultural institutions like the press, the universities, the church and voluntary associations. This “triune” system has generated more freedom, opportunity, and wealth for more people than any other in history.
The Vocation of Christians and Jews
Novak begins his commentary on the intersection between enterprise and faith by explaining how the Jewish and Christian view of “vocation” prepares them for the role they play in the democratic capitalist system:
"Judaism and Christianity are distinctive among the world religions because they understand salvation as a vocation in history. It is the religious task of Jews and Christians to change the world as well as to purify their own souls; to build up “the Kingdom of God” in their own hearts and through the work of their hands…Both Jews and Christians are pilgrim peoples…Both see their religious task as working in and through the institutions of this world. It is the vocation of the laypersons, in particular, to fire the iron of politics, economics, and culture to Jahweh’s vision."
John Locke Discovers the Theology of Democratic Capitalism
In tracing the emergence of free market capitalism, Novak’s explanation of John Locke’s dawning consciousness of the potential bounty latent in nature, and the theological implications of Locke’s discovery is a classic:
"Until the capitalist era, mercantilism—a state controlled economy—remained the dominant theory and practice…Except in “free cities,” the state tended to control economic activities…"
"It may have been John Locke (1632-1704) who first articulated the new possibility for economic organization. Locke observed that a field of, say, strawberries, highly favored by nature, left to itself, might produce what seemed to be an abundance of strawberries. Subject to cultivation and care by practical intelligence, however, such a field might be made to produce not simply twice but tenfold as many strawberries. In short, Locke concluded, nature is far wealthier in possibility than human beings had ever drawn attention to before."
"Permit me to put Locke’s point in theological terms. Creation left to itself is incomplete, and humans are called to be co-creators with God, bringing forth the potentialities the Creator has hidden. Creation is full of secrets waiting to be discovered, riddles which human intelligence is expected by the Creator to unlock. The world did not spring from the hand of God as wealthy as humans might make it. After the Fall, ignorance, and disorder became commonplace."
"There was born in Locke’s vision a novel and invigorating sense of the human vocation. History was no longer to be regarded as cyclical. After Locke, reflection on God’s ways with the world—theodicy—was altered. The way God works in history was now to be thought of as progressive, open, subject to human liberty and diligence. The vocation of the human being came to seem ennobled. No longer were humans to imagine their lot as passive, long-suffering, submissive. They were called upon to be inventive, prudent, farseeing, hardworking—in order to realize by their obedience to God’s call the building up and perfecting of God’s Kingdom on earth. Slamming the doors of the monastery shut, as [Max] Weber put it, the Reformation had carried the energy of certain human virtues out into worldly callings. Progress and economic growth—not only personal but for the entire world—were seen to be the will of God. Progress imposed its disciplines, a kind of “otherworldly asceticism.” This earth was now seen to be full of promise for science, the arts, religion, and even the humble comforts of human life. To be a good Christian and to evince the highest of civic virtues would be, simultaneously to labor for human progress."
The “Triune” System of Economics, Politics and Religion
Novak explains the necessary role of each of his trinity of institutions in forming democratic capitalism as follows:
"Democratic capitalism is not a free enterprise system merely. Its political system has many legitimate roles to play in economic life, from protecting the soundness of the currency to regulating international trade and internal competition. Its moral-cultural system also has many legitimate and indispensable roles to play in economic life, from encouraging self-restraint, hard work, discipline, and sacrifice for the future to insisting upon generosity, compassion, integrity, and concern for the common good. The economic activist is simultaneously a citizen of the polity and a seeker after truth, beauty, virtue, and meaning. The differentiation of systems is intended to protect all against unitary power. It is not intended to protect anyone from a fully integrated personal life."
The Threat of ‘Unitary Power’
Novak explains the motivation of the American founding fathers in creating the triune system: “What the founders of democratic capitalism most feared is the gathering of all powers into one.
"For this reason they separated moral-cultural institutions like the press, the universities, the church, and voluntary associations of free speech from the state. But they also separated economic institutions from the state… It is a distinctive invention of democratic capitalism to have conceived a way of differentiating three major spheres of life, and to have assigned to each relatively autonomous networks of institutions.…"
Throughout his exposition, Novak compares and contrasts democratic capitalism with its great rival, socialism:
"Ideas, always a part of reality, have today acquired power greater than that of reality. One of the most astonishing characteristics of our age is that ideas, even false and unworkable ideas, even ideas which are no longer believed in by their official guardians, rule in the affairs of men and run roughshod over stubborn facts. Ideas of enormous destructiveness, cruelty, and impracticality retain the allegiance of elites that benefit from them…The glaring inadequacies of actual socialist societies do not seem to discourage newborn socialists. Entire nations, like Gadarene herds, cast themselves over the precipice."
Finally, Novak offers a benediction and comparative comment on the two systems:
"Democratic capitalism is neither the Kingdom of God nor without sin. Yet all other known systems of political economy are worse. Such hope as we have for alleviating poverty and for removing oppressive tyranny—perhaps our last, best hope—lies in this much despised system.”
"The world of ‘scientific socialism,’ whose ultimate secrets Marx, Engels, and Lenin believed they had penetrated, moves upon iron tracks of necessity; no man can stay its course, and those who wish to stand “on the side of history” can only submit with glad or reluctant cooperation."
"By sharp contrast, Democratic capitalism did not emerge by cold logical necessity, or by random accident. A few individuals saw new possibilities in human history, articulated them, made a case for them against heavy opposition, and were sufficiently practical to make their case prevail. They saw the importance of system. They saw that the design of the system matters."
