Social and Economic Ethics

Part 8: Social and Economic Ethics

Opening Reflection

Christian morality is not confined to private life; it reaches outward into every aspect of the world we live in. How we engage with society, use wealth, perform our work, and care for others reveals the depth of our faith and the genuineness of our love for God. In the Orthodox tradition, justice (ፍትሕ), mercy (ምሕረት), and stewardship (በኃላፊነት ማገልገል) are not merely noble ideals—they are sacred duties and visible fruits of holiness in everyday life.

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1. Justice, Mercy, and Social Responsibility

• Justice: In Christian ethics, justice means giving to each what is rightly theirs — to God, true devotion and obedience; to neighbor, respect, honesty, and charity. Are you doing these?. Living this way brings balance to life and honors both God and every person.

“ሰው ሆይ፥ መልካሙን ነግሮሃል፤ እግዚአብሔርም ከአንተ ዘንድ የሚሻው ምንድር ነው? ፍርድን ታደርግ ዘንድ፥ ምሕረትንም ትወድድ ዘንድ፥ ከአምላክህም ጋር በትሕትና ትሄድ ዘንድ አይደለምን?” (Micah 6:8)

Romans 13:7 writes :

“ለሁሉ የሚገባውን አስረክቡ፤ ግብር ለሚገባው ግብርን፥ ቀረጥ ለሚገባው ቀረጥን፥ መፈራት ለሚገባው መፈራትን፥ ክብር ለሚገባው ክብርን ስጡ።”

This verse teaches that we must give each person what they rightfully deserve. Respect is not selective. It should not depend on whether someone shares your faith, is older or younger, or whether they are a man or a woman. Offer to everyone the honor and respect that is due to them — this is the central teaching of this verse.

• Mercy: refers  to acting with compassion (ርኅራኄ) and forgiveness (ይቅርታ), toward those who are vulnerable (ተጋላጭ ወገኖች)

“የሚምሩ ብፁዓን ናቸው፥ ይማራሉና።” (Matthew 5:7). When we forgive others, God also forgives us.

• Social Responsibility: Christians are called to live out their faith through active love and moral courage — caring for the poor and marginalized, upholding truth and justice, and advocating for righteousness in society. True discipleship extends beyond personal holiness to the transformation of communities through mercy and integrity (ታማኝነት).

“መልካም መሥራትን ተማሩ፥ ፍርድን ፈልጉ፥ የተገፋውን አድኑ፥ ለድሀ አደጉ ፍረዱለት ስለ መበለቲቱም ተምዋገቱ።” (Isaiah 1:17)

Patristic Insight:

“Love of neighbor is the highest expression of our love for God.” — St. John Chrysostom

Practical reflection: How do my actions at work, in my community, and in society reflect justice and mercy?

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2. Wealth and Poverty in the Orthodox Perspective

• Wealth is a gift from God, meant for blessing, stewardship (generosity), and service.

“በአሁኑ ዘመን ባለ ጠጎች የሆኑት የትዕቢትን ነገር እንዳያስቡ፥ ደስም እንዲለን ሁሉን አትርፎ በሚሰጠን በሕያው እግዚአብሔር እንጂ በሚያልፍ ባለ ጠግነት ተስፋ እንዳያደርጉ እዘዛቸው።” (1 Timothy 6:17–19).

• Poverty is not merely economic; it is also spiritual, inviting a self to humility and reliance on God.
• The Orthodox Church emphasizes almsgiving (ምጽዋት), charity, and voluntary simplicity as ways to participate in God’s justice.

Practical application: Examine your resources—how can they serve God, help others, and foster virtue rather than pride or greed?

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3. Work, Stewardship, and the Environment

• Work is a sacred vocation (ሙያ) and an act of service to God, not merely to men.

“ለሰው ሳይሆን ለጌታ እንደምታደርጉ፥ የምታደርጉትን ሁሉ በትጋት አድርጉት፥ ከጌታ የርስትን ብድራት እንድትቀበሉ ታውቃላችሁና፤ የምታገለግሉት ጌታ ክርስቶስ ነውና።”(Colossians 3:23–24)

Work, therefore, is not simply labor for survival but a means of glorifying God through diligence (ትጋት), honesty, and stewardship (service) to His creation. Through our vocations, we participate in God’s ongoing work of sustaining and caring for the world.

• Stewardship (service) involves responsibility for creation, care for the earth, and ethical use of resources.

“እግዚአብሔር አምላክም ሰውን ወስዶ ያበጃትም ይጠብቃትም ዘንድ በዔድን ገነት አኖረው።” (Genesis 2:15).

This passage illustrates that human beings were given the responsibility of stewardship over creation—to cultivate and protect the earth. It emphasizes the ethical and spiritual duty of human beings to manage God’s creation wisely and responsibly.

• Orthodox ethics calls for balance: honest labor(በሐቅ መሥራት), care for creation, and generosity toward others.

Patristic Insight:

“Man is the steward(ጠባቂ) of God’s creation; he will be held accountable for how he manages it.” — St. John of Damascus.

Practical reflection: Do the way I work, what I consume, and how I care for the environment reflect obedience to God and love for my neighbor?

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Conclusion

Orthodox social and economic ethics connect personal holiness with active responsibility in the world. Justice, mercy, stewardship, and the ethical use of wealth and labor are not abstract ideals—they are tangible expressions of the Christian moral life. Faithfulness (ታማኝነት) in society, care for the poor and vulnerable, and responsible management of creation are essential aspects of the journey toward theosis, demonstrating that true morality manifests both inwardly in the heart and outwardly in our actions.

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Reflection Question

How can I actively practice justice, mercy, and responsible stewardship in my workplace, community, and environment? How does my approach to wealth and labor reflect my faith in Christ?

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of life, work, and creation. Guide our hearts to live with justice, mercy, and love in all that we do. Teach us to use the resources You have entrusted to us wisely, to serve others with humility, and to care for Your creation as faithful stewards. Strengthen us to reflect Your holiness in our workplaces, communities, and families. May our actions bear witness to Your truth and grace, and may we grow ever closer to You on the path of Theosis. Through the prayers of the Theotokos, and all Your saints, Amen.