{"podcast":{"title":"The Libertarian Christian Podcast","slug":"the-libertarian-christian-podcast-1116062","podcast_index_feed_id":1116062,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/the-libertarian-christian-podcast","website_url":"https://libertarianchristians.com/shows/libertarian-christian-podcast/","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/-AP9MkH6__c78M9yjeWo849Gfupdrhpyd-13QplVOtQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzQ5Mjc2LzE3MDY3/MjA4ODgtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.jpg","author":"Libertarian Christian Institute","episode_count":490,"summary":"Join the Libertarian Christian Institute as each week they explore, debate, and analyze the issues that are directly relevant to the intersection of Christianity and liberty. Always thoughtful, frequently controversial, and never boring (trust us), it is our hope and prayer that The Libertarian Christian Podcast serve as a valuable resource to the Church for years to come. If you'd like to reach out to us and ask a question or submit some feedback, you can reach us at podcast@libertarianchristians.com, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and of course, our website, libertarianchristians.com.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-19T18:20:08.947803+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-libertarian-christian-podcast-1116062"},"episode":{"title":"Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations at 250, with Eamonn Butler","slug":"adam-smith-s-wealth-of-nations-at-250-with-eamonn-butler","published_at":"2026-04-03T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-libertarian-christian-podcast-1116062/adam-smith-s-wealth-of-nations-at-250-with-eamonn-butler","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-libertarian-christian-podcast-1116062","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/2956bc10","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/2956bc10/f331c2de.mp3","summary":"Cody Cook welcomes Eamonn Butler, British economist and co-founder/director of the Adam Smith Institute, for a timely discussion marking the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith's seminal work, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (published March 9, 1776). Butler, author of primers on Hayek, Friedman, and Mises, shares insights from his work studying and promoting the ideas of Adam Smith. The conversation explores Smith's enduring legacy as the father of modern economics, rooted in the Scottish Enlightenment. Butler explains how The Theory of Moral Sentiments (Smith's earlier work on virtue, sympathy, empathy, and justice) underpins The Wealth of Nations , showing that self-interest in markets—when guided by moral foundations like trust and honesty—produces social harmony via the famous \"invisible hand.\" Rather than benevolence alone, we get our bread from the baker's self-interest, yet this serves society beneficially. Smith's revolutionary ideas shine through: the division of labor (illustrated by his pin factory example boosting productivity dramatically), national wealth as productive capacity (not hoarded gold), the benefits of free trade, opposition to tariffs, monopolies, and mercantilism (which he saw as cronyism enriching the few at others' expense), and limited government to prevent corruption and rent-seeking. Butler also addresses common misconceptions: early capitalism Smith opposed slavery not just morally but economically, arguing it stifles incentives and efficiency. He contrasts this with critics like Thomas Carlyle, who dubbed economics the \"dismal science\" in defense of hierarchy and authoritarianism. The episode tackles modern critiques from both left and \"new right,\" defending self-interest (prudent and long-term) against char…","meta_description":"Cody Cook welcomes Eamonn Butler, British economist and co-founder/director of the Adam Smith Institute, for a timely discussion marking the 250th anniver…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3230,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-libertarian-christian-podcast-1116062/episodes/adam-smith-s-wealth-of-nations-at-250-with-eamonn-butler/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-libertarian-christian-podcast-1116062/adam-smith-s-wealth-of-nations-at-250-with-eamonn-butler.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}