我们可以冒险
神创造了能够冒险的人,并以圣经为冒险作后盾(创世记 1:28-30;2:15; 马太福音25:14-30;路加福音19:11-27;约翰福音12:24)。神以自己冒险进取的形象造人,「大胆完成了独特的创造,放胆让自由的人来统治」。[23]
我们为神创造,所以感受到风险,但也知道神必有预备。[24]
然而,我们也得到许多圣经的教导,冒险也要谨慎。[25]
格雷格森(Gregersen)将风险界定为自然事件和社会事件的总和,以及这些事件对个人的意义。[26]
格雷格森(Gregersen)引用卢曼(Luhmann)的话说,信任就是表示愿意冒险的立场,在信任与风险之间创造一个良性循环。格雷格森(Gregersen)认为《圣经》宣扬「世界既然由仁慈的神创造,就令人甘愿冒险,博取长期回报。」[27]
人类对风险的取态对金融至关重要。人们愿意冒险,但不想太多风险,风险多少因人而异,也会随着环境改变。这种愿意冒险而又能可免则免的能力,是神创造的部分意念。神以其睿智造人,让人与生俱来就有能力权衡风险和回报,而这能力就反映在金融价格中。这种意识令我们认识到理解风险和管理风险,与神的创造意念如出一辙。
Samuel Gregg and Gordon Preece, "Christianity and Entrepreneurship: Protestant and Catholic Thoughts", The Centre for Independent Studies, 1999, 10.
See Philippians 4:11-13 and Howard Vanderwell, "Contentment in Uncertainty", Calvin Theological Seminary Forum, (Fall 2009), 12-13.
See for example Proverbs 11:15; 22:26, 27; John M. Boersema, "Examining a Christian Perspective on Finance", Chapter 8 in Edward J. Trunfio Ed., Christianity and Business: A Collection of Essays on Pedagogy and Practice (Christian Business Faculty Association, Wenham, MA, 1991); Robert Brooks, "Financial Risk: an Alternative Biblical Perspective", The Journal of Biblical Integration in Business (Fall 1996), 16-24; Ernest P. Liang, "The Global Financial Crisis: Biblical Perspectives on Corporate Finance", The Journal of Biblical Integration in Business, Volume 12, (2010), 48-61; and John P. Tiemstra, "Financial Crisis and the Culture of Risk", Perspectives, Volume 24, Number 5 (May 2009), 6-10.
Niels Henrik Gregersen, "Risk and Religion: Toward a Theology of Risk Taking", Zygon, Volume 38, Number 2 (June 2003), 355-376.
Gregersen, 368.