I recently came across bitcoin and crypto currencies, and have been reading around economics and money ethics since then. I first learned about this book listening to a podcast in which a couple of the authors of this book were interviewed.
This book does a good job of explaining some of the key themes related to bitcoin and our fiat money system today. Key issues such as the ethics of inflation are well covered, as are the benefits of bitcoin by contrast to fiat currencies. There are also some excellent and thought provoking additions in this book, which I personally benefited from, such as the impact of fiat currency on the church and for Christian living generally. So, there are many positives to commend this book.
Having said that, it seems clear to me (I have a theological PhD) that while the authors quote scripture throughout, and there is a surprisingly clear focus on personal holiness, the authors are not making a theological argument as much as an ethical one. This isn’t really a big detractor, but as a book for Christians, it is worth noting that if you’re looking for a theological treatise on money, this probably isn’t it. For this reason, it may not be ideal as a book to take groups through (though I would suggest you read it first and then make that decision for yourself). However, it would be fairly easy to take the material in this book and plug it into a more theologically driven outline.
My biggest criticisms for this book, and the reason I’ve given it four stars rather than five, is twofold. First, at times, it comes across as a little alarmist, though I don’t think the authors are trying to be alarmist. This might be a symptom of being so deeply in the bitcoin bubble (or echo-chamber) where things are sometimes said that sound alarmist to those outside. This can be said of lots of communities, so it isn’t true only of the bitcoin social network communities.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, at other times it comes across anti-government or anti-establishment. As Christians, we are called to submit to those in authority, and one of the biggest problems with the church today is that Christians are so belligerent against authority. So to throw fuel on this fire seems both unwise and unbiblical.
However, don’t let these things stop you from reading this book. It is a worthwhile introduction to why we need a better currency standard than we have today and it will provoke lots of thought about why we do what we do both individually and as local churches.
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