Professor Degner to Present Keynote Lecture in Brazil

On Nov. 5, 2019, Jeff Degner, assistant professor of economics, will present as a keynote speaker to an anticipated audience of 600 people at the third annual Free Market Forum at Mackenzie University in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This year’s forum will center around themes of entrepreneurship; innovation and management; philosophy; religion and economic freedom; and free-market politics and economy.

Through his lecture, Degner will address the question of whether biblical Scriptures are compatible with free-market economics as defined by the Austrian school of economics. Based on his expertise, Degner’s answer is a “hearty ‘yes!'”

“This is a wonderful opportunity to provide a brief exposition of some key Scriptures, including the Parable of the Talents and the account of Cain and Abel, and what these passages reveal about the division of labor, unequal outcomes, envy and man’s reaction to differing outcomes in economic exchange,” Degner said.

During his talk, Degner will also speak to how Scripture defines and addresses issues of involuntary government redistribution of wealth, voluntary giving, fraud, force and coercion and how it is compatible with the teachings of the Austrian Economists.

Last fall, Degner attended a lecture at Makenzie University where he met guest speaker Dr. Lucas Friere, a fellow professor of economics, which is how Degner became connected to the Brazilian university.

“I’m so grateful to get the blessing of traveling to Brazil, which is my wife’s home country,” Degner said. “Although she won’t be able to travel with me on this occasion, I have a deep love and admiration for the Brazilian people and am eager to share from God’s Word and what it has to say about voluntary networks of exchange.”