Biblical and Theological Roots
of Steward-Ownership

by Bruno Petrušić

The article “Biblical and Theological Roots of Steward-Ownership” by Bruno Petrušić explores the theological foundations of the steward-ownership model and presents it as a possible alternative to dominant economic paradigms based on the primacy of private ownership, profit maximization, and short-term economic interests. The author begins by identifying a significant conceptual shift in contemporary discussions concerning leadership, sustainability, and economic responsibility. Concepts such as servant leadership and stewardship are frequently reduced to merely horizontal categories, focusing exclusively on relationships between human beings while neglecting their essential vertical dimension, namely the relationship between humanity and God. In the Christian theological perspective, responsibility, authority, and service do not arise only from human relationships but are fundamentally grounded in the relationship between the Creator and creation. This distinction is especially important when considering the example of Jesus Christ. Christ’s service to humanity does not originate from a simple relationship of equality with those whom He serves, but from His obedience to the Father and the fulfillment of a divine mission.

Therefore, the washing of the disciples’ feet should not be understood as the elimination of hierarchy but as its transformation, where authority becomes an expression of service rather than domination. A similar argument appears in discussions about religion and ecological sustainability. The biblical idea that human beings are called to “subdue the earth” and exercise dominion over creation has often been interpreted as a justification for exploitation and environmental destruction.

However, Petrušić argues that such an interpretation misunderstands the biblical concept of dominion. Humanity is not presented as the absolute owner of creation but as its steward, entrusted with responsibility before God. The world belongs ultimately to the Creator, while human beings receive the task of caring for it within a relationship of trust and accountability. From this perspective, stewardship becomes a relational concept that combines human responsibility toward creation with responsibility before God. The author therefore argues that steward-ownership, although the modern economic model developed outside explicitly Christian contexts, can be recognized as a contemporary expression of a deeper biblical logic. It emerges as a response to structural weaknesses of modern capitalism, particularly the tendency to absolutize private property, economic growth, and financial return at the expense of human dignity, social responsibility, and the common good. In this sense, steward-ownership may be interpreted as one of the signs of the times, a phenomenon through which theology can recognize new possibilities for the renewal of economic life.

The biblical understanding of stewardship is further developed through the analysis of the relationship between humanity, creation, and authority. The author emphasizes that human beings, despite having a special role within creation, remain creatures themselves and therefore share a fundamental equality with all created reality. The relationship between humanity and the natural world is therefore horizontal, characterized by belonging, dependence, and vulnerability. At the same time, humanity receives a special responsibility to govern creation, introducing a vertical dimension into this relationship. However, this authority does not originate from human superiority but from the trust given by God. Human dominion is therefore not absolute mastery but responsible administration. According to Petrušić, the historical crisis of modernity begins when this vertical relationship is removed. Enlightenment thought and the development of modern industrial society significantly increased human power over nature, but at the same time weakened the awareness that such power is entrusted rather than possessed. Humanity retained control over the world while losing the awareness of accountability before the Creator. Therefore, stewardship was replaced by domination, trust by appropriation, and responsibility by control. The article illustrates this theological framework through the biblical narrative of Joseph in Egypt. Joseph’s life represents a model of authentic stewardship because he repeatedly receives authority without turning it into personal ownership. Joseph’s story therefore reveals the fundamental distinction between management and ownership, since one may exercise authority and responsibility over resources without possessing them absolutely. His submission to higher authority does not represent weakness or passivity but becomes the foundation for mature and fruitful action. In this way, Joseph becomes a biblical image of the steward who understands leadership as service.

A second major biblical foundation for steward-ownership is found in the Parable of the Talents. In this parable, Jesus describes a master who entrusts his property to three servants before leaving on a journey. The servants receive different amounts of talents according to their abilities, but all remain responsible before the master. The central message of the parable is not inequality of resources but faithfulness in administration. The servants do not become owners of what they receive; they become responsible managers of something that belongs to another. The two servants who act with trust and responsibility increase what has been entrusted to them, while the servant who acts out of fear hides the talent and refuses the responsibility given to him. His failure is not simply economic but relational, because his fear reveals a distorted understanding of the master. Petrušić connects this biblical logic with the contemporary model of steward-ownership, where ownership rights, governance rights, and profit extraction are structurally separated. In such a model, the company is not treated as a possession whose purpose is the enrichment of shareholders but as an institution with a mission that must be protected over time. This principle is closely connected with Catholic social teaching, which has consistently maintained that private property is legitimate but never absolute. From Rerum novarum onward, the Church has affirmed private property as connected to human dignity while simultaneously insisting that goods have a universal destination and must serve the common good. Later documents, including Gaudium et spes, Populorum progressio, Laborem exercens, and Centesimus annus, further develop the idea that ownership carries a social obligation. The concept of the “social mortgage” of property expresses precisely this conviction: the owner is not an unlimited master but a steward of goods that ultimately serve humanity. In this context, Pope Francis’ principle that “time is greater than space” becomes especially important. It suggests that long-term processes, sustainable development, and the fulfillment of a mission are more important than the accumulation of power, control, and immediate profit. Steward-ownership reflects this principle because it transforms the company from a static object of ownership into a dynamic process oriented toward purpose. Governance rights belong to those responsible for maintaining the company’s mission, while profit is understood not as something to be extracted but as a resource that enables continuity, development, and service.

The final section of the article examines the Church’s own administration of temporal goods through the perspective of canon law. Petrušić argues that the Church already possesses an institutional logic that closely corresponds to steward-ownership. According to canonical principles, Church property exists not for private enrichment but for worship, apostolic activity, charity, and the fulfillment of the Church’s mission. The Church may participate in economic life and establish enterprises, but such activity remains governed by the principle of stewardship. Ownership is therefore understood as responsibility rather than possession. The examples of Salesiana in Croatia and Mystic Monk Coffee in the United States demonstrate how this model can function in practice. Although these organizations operate within market structures, their internal logic differs from purely profit-oriented enterprises. Their economic activity serves a broader purpose. Profit becomes a means rather than an end, and management becomes a form of service rather than a mechanism of domination. Through these examples, the article concludes that steward-ownership is not merely an innovative economic arrangement, but a model deeply rooted in biblical anthropology, Catholic social thought, and the theological understanding of human responsibility. 

Bruno Petrušić

Petrušić was born in 1986 in Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the war, he and his family moved to Croatia as refugees and eventually settled in Dalmatia, where he continues to live today with his wife and five children.

He studied Catholic theology and later specialized in the relationship between theology, philosophy, science, and contemporary social questions. He earned his doctorate in Catholic theology in 2021 with a dissertation on the relationship between theology and science. He has continued his academic work as a researcher and lecturer, including collaboration with international theological institutions such as the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. 2025-2026 EoF Academy Fellow.

His main areas of interest include the dialogue between faith and reason, philosophy of science, creation theology, Catholic social teaching, and the role of Christianity in contemporary society. Through his writings and lectures, Petrušić seeks to connect theological tradition with modern cultural, ethical, and economic challenges. He is also the author of works exploring alternative economic models, including the theological foundations of steward-ownership.