Intellectual Property: Creativity and Ownership in Law and the Bible

Is it appropriate-- or even relevant-- to bring principles of one's Christian faith into the workplace? We address this question in the field of law with James R. Edwards, Jr., a devout Christian and intellectual property lawyer. His recent book,To Intent Is Divine: Creativity and Ownership, shows how the patent and intellectual property system the American Founders designed became the world’s “gold standard.” Edwards argues that the American IP system, alongside innate human creativity and a right to property ownership, are ultimately rooted in Scripture. We discuss the impact of classical liberalism and Christian worldview on the American founding fathers, and close with a discussion of artificial intelligence as it relates to intellectual property and imago dei.