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Martin Luther’s Theology of Antitrust
Studies in Protestant Irenics Vol. 2
Short, scholarly studies in Rich Protestant Wisdom
Largely lost to history is the fact that Martin Luther himself was the foremost Protestant critic of early modern monopolies—the very same kind of monopolies whose existence and effects gave rise to the antitrust laws that remain vigorously debated today. Though Luther obviously does not use the jargon of the modern field, the
referents
of his theological-economic analysis – that is, the forms of business conduct in question – are the very same practices that modern antitrust law exists to punish. In particular, Luther wrote sharply against those who would control commodity supplies and engage in predatory pricing, driving smaller merchants to ruin and consolidating control over particular markets. But there’s an important twist. Luther’s arguments for
why
antitrust enforcement is important have little to do with the standard concepts that the field relies upon today—detailed analyses of market concentration, price effects within particular markets, and so forth. Instead, Luther’s claims have an explicitly theological cast to them. That is to say, Luther appeals
directly
to principles drawn from Scripture and the Christian tradition in making his arguments
against
monopolistic conduct and in
favor
of vigorous “antitrust enforcement” by the appropriate authorities.
Publication Details
- Publisher: Davenant Press
- ISBN: 978-1-949716-70-2
- Publication Date: October 2, 2025
- Pages: 120
- Author: John Ehrett
- Price: $17.95
Endorsements
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“John Ehrett here accomplishes two things simultaneously: he both provides a careful study of a historic Protestant figure’s teaching on political economy and makes those insights useful to contemporary conversations. Ehrett’s work is a model of both kinds of scholarship and deserves attention as an important contribution to ongoing projects of recovery within the Protestant tradition.”
— Philip Bunn, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Covenant College
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“Most of us think of antitrust law as the domain of attorneys and economists. In Martin Luther’s Theology of Antitrust, John Ehrett provides a surprising vantage point from which to consider monopolies, cartels, predatory pricing and the like: theology. Ehrett, channeling Luther, reminds us of a truth long neglected: economic thought will run amiss if it abandons a theological framework. As such, antitrust law is not a morality-free zone. The implications of this approach to economics are far-reaching, radical, and much needed.”
— Mark T. Mitchell, Dean of Academic Affairs, Patrick Henry College
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“In this concise book, Ehrett brings together the fields of political theory, theology, and history to present Martin Luther’s distinctive insights in a contemporary context. This work is a model of faithful (and distinctively Protestant) Christian intellectual engagement with civic life.”
— Jordan B. Cooper, Fellow of Systematic Theology at the Weidner Institute, and the Chair of Lutheran Dogmatics at the American Lutheran Theological Seminary
