Socially Responsible Investing Through a Biblical Lens

If God owns it all, then how we invest matters as much as how we give. Yet many Christians invest in the same index funds and target-date portfolios as everyone else, never asking whether the companies inside those funds reflect — or contradict — the values they hold on Sunday morning.

The Proverbs 31 investor

The famous Proverbs 31 woman was an investor. Verse 16 tells us she 'considers a field and buys it.' She did her diligence, used her earnings wisely, and put capital to productive use — planting a vineyard that would generate income for years. This is investing in the biblical sense: deploying resources thoughtfully toward fruitful, long-term ends.

“She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.”

— Proverbs 31:16

What is biblically responsible investing (BRI)?

Biblically Responsible Investing — sometimes called Faith-Based Investing — is the practice of screening investments against biblical values. Most BRI funds exclude companies whose primary business involves abortion, pornography, predatory lending, the gambling industry, alcohol, or tobacco. Some go further, including positive screens for companies that treat workers well or operate with high ethical standards.

How BRI differs from ESG

ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investing has become mainstream, but BRI is distinct. ESG criteria are set by investment committees and shift with cultural trends. BRI criteria are anchored in Scripture and rarely change. Some companies score well on ESG metrics while still profiting from activities Scripture would call sin. A Christian investor needs a framework grounded in something more durable than corporate sentiment.

Does values-based investing hurt returns?

Many Christians worry that screening their portfolio means accepting lower returns. The data is more encouraging than people expect. Multiple studies over the past decade have shown that well-constructed BRI portfolios perform competitively with broad-market benchmarks over the long term. You are not making a stewardship vs. performance trade-off; you are making a stewardship plus performance choice.

Five questions to ask your advisor

If you want to begin aligning your portfolio with your faith, start by asking: (1) Do my current funds hold companies whose products I would not endorse? (2) Are there BRI alternatives with comparable expense ratios? (3) How do these funds screen for life, family, and biblical sexuality? (4) What is my long-term return tradeoff, if any? (5) How will we monitor and adjust over time?

Investing as worship

When the money you put to work in the markets reflects the convictions you hold in your heart, investing becomes another form of worship. You are not just chasing returns; you are participating in God's economy with intention.