Oikonomia: Economics for Life and Flourishing

A 16-week high-school honors economics course built on a Christian worldview.

The Course

Economics that goes beyond numbers.

Sixteen weeks. Honors-level. Built on a Christian worldview — and designed to build your student's faith along with their economic literacy.

At a glance

An honors course, designed to fit.

Over 90 hours of instruction in micro and macroeconomics — satisfies the ½ credit (Carnegie Unit) required by most high schools.

16

Weeks

90+

Hours of Instruction

½

Carnegie Unit

Honors

Academic Level

How it works

A weekly rhythm that just works

Day 1 is for group discussion. Days 2–5 follow a simple READ · WATCH · DO sequence that keeps students engaged — about 45 minutes a day.

READ

Core texts + articles

Assigned passages from Common Sense Economics and Money, Greed, and God — plus a curated article from voices like Olasky, Hazlitt, or Corbett.

WATCH

Curated video clips

100+ edited video segments — from Learn Liberty to John Stossel to Rev. Sirico — reinforcing each week's principles in action.

DO

Questions + critical thinking

Workbook questions sequence students through each concept, with "Digging Deeper" prompts that push beyond the obvious and weekly Critical Thinking essays.

What makes it unique

Built to teach, built to stick.

The only free-market high-school course built on classical ideas, a Christian worldview, and a mission mind-set.

Building Blocks for Christian Life

A Christian worldview paired with thoughtful economic study — challenging students to become men and women of character who see God's design in families, communities, churches, and work.

An Economics Library at Your Fingertips

Built on Common Sense Economics and Money, Greed, and God — plus 40+ articles and 100+ video segments bringing economic principles to life.

Simple Lesson Plans with Deep Impact

Whether a seasoned teacher or brand new, the Teacher Guide lays out lesson plans simply and intuitively. Clear answer guides and the Group Activities Book make groups of 10+ easy.

Try before you buy

Week 1 is free. See the course in action.

Open Week 01 below to watch the lessons, read the assigned texts, and write your first reflection — exactly as your student will. No card. No checkout. Just the course.

Current Status

Not Enrolled

Price

$197.00

Get Started

Course Content

Week 01 — Laying the Foundation
Concepts, Terms and Topics Stewardship, Oikonomia, Imago Dei, the Role of Incentives, Scarcity and Opportunity Costs, Decision Making and Marginalism, Gains from Trade
INTRODUCING THE WEEK 1 Consider and Respond
Lesson Content
0% Complete 0/1 Steps
Week 02 — Market Basics
Concepts, Terms and Topics Specialization and Trade, Transaction Costs, Zero-Sum Game Myth, Subjective Value, Markets and Private Property, The Invisible Hand, The Role of Prices, Demand and Supply, and Equilibrium
INTRODUCING THE COURSE 1 Consider and Respond
Lesson Content
0% Complete 0/1 Steps
Week 03 — Entrepreneurship, Markets, and Morality
Week 04 — Free Exchange and Wealth Creation
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What's included

Everything you need in one place

Print, online, and digital — designed to work however you teach.

Print

Workbook + Teacher Guide

  • Oikonomia Teacher Guide — with 13 quizzes and 3 cumulative exams
  • Oikonomia Student Workbook
  • Group Activities Book — recommended for 10+ students

Core texts

  • Common Sense Economics — 3rd Edition · Gwartney, Stroup, Lee, Ferrarini & Calhoun
  • Money, Greed, and God — 10th Anniversary Edition · Jay W. Richards

Online

Articles + Video Library

42 articles — from Brooks, Friedman, Hazlitt, Olasky, Corbett, Fikkert, and sources like FEE, the Wall Street Journal, The Gospel Coalition, Heritage, Acton Institute, Mackinac, and IFWE.

100+ video clips — from the commerce of Hong Kong to the slums of Kibera, from John Stossel to Rev. Sirico — engaging, curated, and tightly linked to each week's readings.

New for 2022

Digital versions of the Student Workbook and Parent Answer Key — complete workbook pages online, email completed forms to your teacher.

For schools & co-ops

Teaching a group? We've got you covered.

Oikonomia works best in a group — whether a private school of 20+, a university-model hybrid, or a weekly co-op of 10. Discounts available for 5+ students; site licenses for private schools.

Stories from the classroom

What students and families are saying

"From start to finish, the Oikonomia curriculum showed itself to be well-crafted and engaging. It's not often that, as a student, I would willingly choose to write in-depth answers to questions in a textbook, but this time I honestly enjoyed being drawn in. In combination with the online video segments, everything it conveyed seemed not only simple and logical, but also profoundly connected to God's plan for us and the rest of mankind."

— Zane W., age 18

Student

"Oikonomia is one of the best courses I have ever taken… it showed me the big picture of how our world works and gave me practical, useful lessons to live out in my own life."

— Isabella G., age 16

Parent

"I witnessed their thinking expand to great heights! So many lively discussions were had. This course quickly became a favorite subject in our home school."

— Starla D., Navarre, FL

Teacher

"This coursework is some of the most important material you can have your high schooler study to prepare them to think well about the world around them."

— Laurie S., Montgomery, TX

Questions answered

Frequently asked questions

Is this a Christian curriculum?

OIKONOMIA: Economics for Life and Flourishing is based upon a Christian worldview. We purposefully encourage students and teachers to work through all Scripture references together — we do our best not to interpret Scripture in the curriculum, leaving this to your careful study. Money, Greed, and God by Jay Richards best reflects the economic philosophy of this course: free markets, limited government, private property, and the rule of law working together to create a virtuous and free society.

What grade is this curriculum designed for?

Oikonomia is a high school honors course. While 9th and 10th grade students have taken the course with success, we have found that 11th and 12th grade students are better able to manage, grasp, and appreciate the material.

How much time do students need each day?

Students should plan to spend about an hour each day for reading, answering questions, and viewing videos. Some days may be as little as 30 minutes; others may require slightly more than one hour of concentrated effort. Coursework averages 45 minutes per day.

How much teacher preparation is required?

Required teacher preparation is minimal. Ideally, the teacher would read the material and watch the videos; however, the Teacher Guide is thorough enough that parents or teachers can confidently assess students' responses without having to read all the books or watch all the videos.

Does the course satisfy state economics standards?

Yes. Common Sense Economics — one of the two core texts — satisfies all 20 of the Voluntary National Standards in Economics. It is also the sole text used in several college and university courses, and for high school economics in the Detroit Public School system.

Can I teach this curriculum in a private or Classical school?

Absolutely. This course works especially well in a group setting — whether 5 students or 50. For group pricing and site licenses for private schools, visit our Schools & Co-ops page.

Ready to begin?

Start the journey today

Full course access, Student Workbook, quizzes, essays, and certificate of completion — built for homeschool families, co-ops, and private schools.