Seven success values ​​that Germany owes to the Bible

Many have tried to explain why Germany is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Hans-Joachim Hahn has a completely different explanation than most other researchers. Hahn sees seven values ​​behind German prosperity, all of which come from the Bible.

Can you describe the seven values ​​that have shaped Germany’s economic success?

“The First The Protestant work ethic is valued. Germans have a reputation for working hard and diligently. This is in contrast to ancient Greece or China, where workers were seen as second-class citizens. In Germany, work is seen as something that makes a person noble.

The second Value is integrity, a commitment to truthfulness.

Thirdthere is trust that comes from integrity.

Fourth,there is respect that allows people to be viewed as unique creatures with unique gifts and not as mere production capital.

Fifth,The value of responsibility lies in the insight that man is responsible to God and other people.

The sixth Value is sustainability.

And last but last but not least, there is the courage to admit mistakes. At the same time, this is unique in Christian cultures. In Asian cultures, for example, admitting mistakes destroys respect in the eyes of others.”

You’ve talked about sustainability. It’s something that environmentalists usually talk about, but they’re not often positive about Christianity, so how can you say it comes from the Bible?

“Sustainability is a fairly popular concept these days. Environmentalists claim to have created this value. It was already expressed in Genesis 1, when God commissioned man to care for his creation.”

So why do you think it was the Bible that brought these seven values ​​to Germany?

“Everyone agrees that Martin Luther made Germany a learned nation. He was the first to demand universal education for boys and girls. Children had to learn Luther’s catechism, which contained the Ten Commandments. All these seven values ​​stem from them.

Moreover, Christian education was not born with Luther. The oldest German universities had already been founded in the monasteries several centuries earlier. That is, we owe to the Bible the educational system that has allowed these seven values ​​to shape public life. Thanks to generations of men and women who taught these values, Germany became the prosperous nation we know today.”

**What then about the influence of the Enlightenment?
“Some people trace these values ​​back to the Enlightenment. But this philosophical movement also began with Bible scholars. The problem, however, is that at the heart of the Enlightenment is a belief in human reason: rationalism. But such a belief does not promote these values ​​because human reason is not a reliable basis for value formation.

One of our most famous philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche, showed that values, when based on human reason, are purely arbitrary. That is why they are disappearing today.”

You have been giving lectures on this topic for years. How is your teaching received?

“Most people are surprised. They say to me: ‘I’ve never seen it like that before, but the way you explain it is logical and clear.'”

I remember a Roman Catholic entrepreneur who came to me after such a teaching and said, “You just explained to me why my business is successful.”

I think people are surprised because I don’t talk about external symptoms like the unemployment rate or GDP per capita, but reveal the real motivations.”

Any negative feedback?

“This usually happens when I speak to an audience that is ideologically committed to communism, socialism or environmentalism. The more ideologically committed people were, the less willing they were to debate.

This is understandable, because my approach leads to a form of society that promotes freedom and personal responsibility. It is in stark contrast to the ideal of a strong socialist state system that their ideologies promote.

But in general, my teaching is well received when my listeners are not so committed to an ideology, whether they are Christians or not.”

Do you believe that these seven values ​​can once again shape Germany’s future?

“Current circumstances are not favourable. In politics, even Christian Democrats are deeply committed to ideologies such as socialism or environmental protection. This creates a powerful state that restricts people’s freedom and values, turns them into subjects instead of responsible citizens and thus impoverishes them, for example through tax increases.

As someone who believes in God and the Bible, I know that change is possible. In the book of Jonah, God did not destroy Nineveh when the citizens decided to repent. We need such a radical change that brings back to the fore those biblical values ​​of success that underlie the German social market economy, which reconciled social responsibility and personal freedom. It could take decades and mean a profound collapse. Yet a return is always possible because it is biblical and history proves it.”

Who is Hans-Joachim Hahn?

Hans-Joachim Hahn (born 1950) is a lecturer in ethics in business and society. Hahn was a trained high school teacher of English and sports and experienced a dramatic career change when he felt God’s call to inspire universities to once again adopt a positive attitude towards the Christian worldview.

For several decades he has worked with Campus for Christ(Agape Europe), an organization that tries to reach university students with the gospel.

After twenty years, he founded the Professors Forum, a network that brings together Christian professors and scientists to work on the Christian worldview. The forum helped to organize debates between people with different worldviews in a climate of mutual openness.

Hahn developed his teachings on German success values ​​through his mentor, Prof. Johann Millendorfer of the University of Vienna, who did pioneering work in the field of computer-aided analysis.

Today, Hahn works with Truth and Transformation, an organization whose goal is to build a new educational system based on the biblical worldview.