Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective: A Comprehensive Introduction

It is legal for CEOs to make 300 times the amount of the average worker. But is this fair and just?

Is it ethical for a customer to purchase a digital camera for the sole purpose of using it on a ski trip and then return the item to the store afterwards?

Should companies who purchase advertising space on websites that offer pirated videos for download be held accountable for breaking intellectual property laws?

The world of business is fraught with ethical challenges. Some of these are relatively straightforward, but others are complicated and require careful reflection. While there are numerous theories to help people navigate these dilemmas, the goal of this book is to provide a comprehensive biblical perspective on contemporary issues inareas such as consumer behavior, management, accounting and marketing.

In Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective, Michael E. Cafferky explores the biblical resources for moral guidance and ethical consideration. He identifies twelve key themes in the narrative of Scripture: cosmic conflict, creation, holiness, covenant relationships, shalom, sabbath, justice, righteousness, truth, wisdom, loving kindness and redemption. By looking at ethical approaches and issues through this multifaceted biblical perspective, Cafferky helps readers appreciate the complex nature of ethical decision making, particularly in the context of business and finance.

Designed from the start with the classroom in mind, each chapter of Business Ethics inBiblical Perspective provides example scenarios, questions for intrapersonal and interpersonal ethical reflection, review questions, ethical vignettes for discussion and an exploration of the chapter material in light of the biblical themes.

Additional IVP Instructor Resources are also available.

Michael E. Cafferky taught undergraduate and graduate courses in management, business strategy, entrepreneurship, organizational theory, and business ethics at Southern Adventist University. He was appointed the Ruth McKee Chair for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics and served in that capacity until his retirement. A long-time member of the Christian Business Faculty Association (CBFA), he has served as the editor of the peer-reviewed Journal of Biblical Integration in Business and as a member of the CBFA Board of Directors. In 2013, he received the Sharon G. Johnson Award from the CBFA in national recognition of his efforts toward integrating faith and business in his scholarship. Prior to his work in higher education, Cafferky worked for twenty years in the healthcare industry and for ten years he was a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He also served as a volunteer examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Cafferky is the author of nine books including Business Ethics in Biblical Perspective, Management: A Faith-based Perspective, On the Brink, Breakeven Analysis (coauthored with Jon Wentworth), and Scriptural Foundations for Management. His writing has been published in the Journal of Biblical Integration in Business, Christian Business Review, Faith in Business Quarterly, Christian Business Academy Review, the Journal of Applied Christian Leadership, and the Journal of Religion and Business Ethics. Cafferky earned advanced degrees in business administration (DBA, Anderson University), religion (MDiv, Andrews University), public health (MPH, Loma Linda University), and creative writing (MFA, Lindenwood University).