Treasures in Heaven, Portfolios on Earth

Christians may agree with some tenets of ESG. But very little effort has been made to develop a uniquely faith-driven approach to investing.

Estimates indicate, for example, that while Christian individuals or institutions likely fund or control more than $30 trillion in investments (through 401(k)s, individual shareholdings, insurance general accounts, public pensions, foundations, and other sources), only around $260 billion is currently deployed in explicitly faith-aligned strategies, and that is principally through basic “negative screens,” which eliminate offensive products and services from portfolios.

In the rest of their investments, Christians tend to delegate the influence of their shares to mainstream firms that may or may not share their values.

The Christian faith has, at its best, always been more about what it is for than what it is against. And Christians have an opportunity to serve others through their investment dollars while shaping companies and culture in a way that reflects the good news of the gospel.

But how? There are a multitude of potential frameworks—each of which is incomplete in its own way. But I’d propose a very simple framework for Christian individuals and institutions who want to explore the alignment of their investing with their faith.

This piece originally appeared in Christianity Today.