A TOS Review: Economics For Everybody

I have to admit. I get kind of sleepy when someone mentions Economics. My eyes cross over and I start daydreaming about magical thrift stores and frozen custard.

Maybe some of our elected officials have the same malady?

Ouch. I should probably stop while I’m ahead and get on with the review.

Do you know that I managed to get through 4 years of high school and many more years of college without an economic credit to my name? I certainly don’t look forward to springing it on Josiah when he comes of age. At least I didn’t look forward to it.

Recently, we got to wander around some of the hallowed halls of the Roman Roads Media website. There were several products up for review and many I was interested in requesting.

One stuck out. You guessed it. ECONOMICS. How can this be? Why Economics when there was a history and poetry option?

I took a look at the preview video for Economics for Everybody Curriculum. The instructor, R.C. Sproul, Jr. actually made Economics look just a little bit interesting. I knew my husband would enjoy it and there you have it! 

What I Received

I received the Economics for Everybody Curriculum. It is comprised of two DVDs and a study guide. The study guide is 236 pages and fits nicely in the DVD box.

There are 12 Lessons between the 2 DVDs…none over 30 minutes long.

Here is what they are comprised of.

1. And God Created Economics (Stewardship in God's Image)
2. The Economic Problem of Sin (Law, Liberty, and Government)
3. The Path from Work to Wealth (Production, Property, and Tools)
4. The Route from Scarcity to Plenty (Money, Markets, and Trade)
5. The Role of the Entrepreneur (Capital, Calculation, and Profit)
6. A Tale of Two Theologies, Part 1 (From God to Politics)
7. A Tale of Two Theologies, Part 2 (Economic Philosophies and Systems)
8. Government Intervention (Basic Principles and Education)
9. The Two Mysteries of Monetary Policy (Inflation and Depression)
10. The Welfare and Corporate States of America (Costs of Redistribution)
11. Economics Has Consequences (The Real Effects of Sin)
12. Kingdom Economics

The curriculum is intended for families with middle school and high school students. However, everyone is encouraged to watch. In fact, it is suggested that churches use it with their small groups.

If you are a parent with a High School Student the course is good for a ½ credit in economics.

The cost for the curriculum is $45.

How It Works and How I Used It

First, just a little bit about the instructor. Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr. is a Teaching Fellow at Ligonier Ministries, professor and lecturer at Ligonier Academy. He is also the founder of Highlands Ministries. 

He speaks in an engaging, yet informative way. His lecture is peppered with movie and cartoon clips, footage from historical events and more. The movie and cartoon clips are all vintage scenes, there is nothing inappropriate that flashed before our eyes. There are even clips of Dr. Sproul’s own family in action to emphasize certain points.

So what does Economics for Everybody actually teach?  

We learn what Economics actually is. We learn how it affects our everyday lives. Most importantly we learn what happens when God’s economic principles are ignored.

I think that my own thought process changed when I viewed Economics from this viewpoint. We sat down and actually watched these as a family. My husband thought they were excellent. Dr. Sproul does a fantastic job of laying it all out. I personally found all the history to be fascinating. We both went away feeling like we knew a little more about economic systems.  Josiah (who is entering 7^th grade) perhaps didn’t grasp as many of the concepts. He was more excited to see clips of Charlie Chaplin. I am not dismayed! I know this is a curriculum we can use for several years! I just think it is good family watching. As a family, we want to be good stewards of God’s creation. 

The Study Guide is intended to accompany the video lessons. It is not a large book, but contains a lot of meat! You can read it on its own (without the video lessons), but the DVDs are most the fun!

Each lessons follows the same format.

Message Introduction

Scripture Reading

Learning Objectives

Quotations

Lecture Outline

Multiple Choice

Short Answer

Discussion

Resources for Further Study

Given the age and attention span of our current student, Josiah Bevan, we didn’t use the Study as much….unless it was to clarify a quote or reference. However, the video lessons are perfectly doable for him.

My Thoughts

This would be a perfect series for our small group at church. There isn’t anything in the entire series that you will find offensive. I think your group will be encouraged and informed.

I can’t believe I am so giddy about a product teaching Economics. Who knew? I think is a terrific product. If you would like to take a “look see” yourself, head on over to the website. You can actually view the entire first lesson for free.  

You can connect with Economics for Everybody. And click below for more Crew Reviews on other products. I think you will be pleased. 

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