Review Detail

Who said, “It’s the economy, stupid!”? It is common for high school seniors to study one semester of American government and one of introductory economics. Ray Notgrass’s Exploring Economics surveys Biblical teachings on money and finance, provides an overview of the economic history of the United States, gives a clear explanation of terms and concepts used in economics, and discusses current issues in the national and world economies. Seventy-five lessons are divided into fifteen units of five lessons each that will help students understand economic terms and issues that have an impact on the United States and its citizens.

Unit 1 gets a grasp on economics. Units 2 and 3 talk about God’s economic principles found in the Old Testament and in the early church. Unit 4 is a brief economic history of the United States. The remaining eleven units apply these basic concepts to making choices, markets, money, trade, business, labor, government, economic measurements, and other important related topics, putting our participation in the national and world economies on a personal level. This course introduces both microeconomics and macroeconomics, and is written from a perspective of faith in God and trust in His word, reasserting the importance of the free market system.

There is an optional, accompanying collection of essays on sound economic principles called The Stewardship of God’s Riches, along with a quiz and exam booklet to insure that the reader is comprehending the terms and principles, and an answer key. The curriculum should well prepare the student for college economics. Economics is not always an easy subject for many children to grasp in the first place, and we live in a time when economic activity is challenging classic definitions. Perhaps if more young people studied Exploring Economics, we might not be so prone to elect leaders who would abandon good economic practices and send our economy down a perilous path towards possible destruction.