Ron and Ed were thrilled to have one of their favorite guests back for a fifth time on the show, Fr. Robert Sirico of The Acton Institute. He along with Rabbi Lapin inspired the name of our show. This time we discussed his new book The Economics of the Parables.

Before we get to the show notes, here is a bit more about Father Robert Sirico…

Rev. Robert A. Sirico is the president and co-founder of the Acton Institute and the pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, both in Grand Rapids, MI. A regular writer and commentator on religious, political, economic, and social issues, Rev. Sirico's contributions have been carried by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Times, CNN, ABC, CBS, NPR, and the BBC, among others.

Here are the show notes. Use them to follow along with the audio.

For the FIFTH TIME, we welcome Rev. Robert Sirico to the show. His previous episodes were #16, 134, 226, and 318. Use TheSoulOfEnterprise.com “slash show number” to find any of those episodes.
Ron asked about Jimmy Lai's struggles at the top of the show. THE HONG KONGER is a documentary by the Acton Institute. More here https://thehongkongermovie.com
So let’s talk about Rev. Robert Sirico’s new book. But first, what is the difference between a fable and parable? A fable usually is something that deals with fantasy. A parable comes from the latin/greek which means to “put side by side” (or is a comparison).
One of the chapter’s in Rev. Robert Sirico’s book covers the parable of the hidden treasure. Treasure is often a metaphor for wisdom in scripture. Hidden treasure uses the capacity of human beings to speculate.
In “The Economics of the Parables”, Rev. Robert Sirico pulls back the veil of modernity to reveal the timeless economic wisdom of the parables. Ron and Ed devoured the book! https://www.amazon.com/Economics-Parables-Robert-Sirico/dp/1684512425
For each parable in his book, Rev. Sirico tries to bring economic awareness and theological awareness together.
“Economic value is subjective. But virtues are objective values.” — Rev. Robert Sirico
Check out our Patreon channel and become a member at Patreon.com/TSOE. Now sponsored by @90minds. Be kind to your mind, hire one at 90Minds.com!
Ed talked about the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard and its economic lessons on the show today. For those note familiar, here is an overview of the parable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Workers_in_the_Vineyard
“They’re practicing Marxists when they bill by the hour.” —Ed Kless today on the show.
What is it that sends some workers home without a feeling of content in the Parable o the Laborers in the Vineyard? “It’s their envy.” —Rev. Sirico
The Parable of the Rich Fool is a parable of Jesus which appears in The Gospel of Luke. It depicts the futility of the belief that wealth can secure prosperity or a good life. This is also covered in Rev. Sirico’s new book. https://www.amazon.com/Economics-Parables-Robert-Sirico/dp/1684512425
At a certain level, out Patreon members get a shoutout just like Blake Oliver from EarmarkCPE.com. Check them out and also his recent guest spot on The Soul of Enterprise! https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/388
To paraphrase a Winston Churchill speech referenced by Rev. Sirico today: “The socialists of the early church said everything that I have is yours. The socialist today says everything you have is mine.”
From “The Tragedy of American Compassion”: Compassion is not giving to, it is suffering with. https://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-American-Compassion-Marvin-Olasky/dp/089526725X
Also in Rev. Sirico’s book is “The Parable of the Talents” in which a master puts his servants in charge of his goods while he is away on a trip. Upon his return, the master assesses the stewardship of his servants.
“The Parable of the Two Debtors” reminded Ron about the current debate surrounding student loan forgiveness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Two_Debtors
Rev. Sirico mentioned this poem during the show today - “Tom Smith and His Incredible Bread Machine” https://mises.org/library/tom-smith-and-his-incredible-bread-machine
“The wealth of the wealthiest people is invested in businesses”….not their luxury goods. —Rev. Sirico
A big THANK YOU to Rev. Robert Sirico for joining us today for his FIFTH appearance. His new book, The Economics of the Parables, is available most everywhere books are sold including this link https://www.amazon.com/Economics-Parables-Robert-Sirico/dp/1684512425

Bonus Content is Available As Well

Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.

This week was bonus episode 396 - “An elephant is NOT a person” and here are a few links discussed:

Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits.