Jacques Maritain, a French philosopher, strongly believed that there is an unwritten natural law

that is inherent naturally. He supported the idea of natural law, believing it to express both what
is known to be naturally occurring in humans as well as what is naturally occurring in the world.
He defined natural law as a disposition or arrangement that human reason may uncover and in
accordance with which human will must behave to conform to the essential objectives of the
human being. He held that it governs all beings with human nature. However, Maritain
acknowledges that knowledge of the natural law varies across humanity and according to
people's skills and abilities, and he discussed the development of moral awareness in either an
individual or a collective. Jacques Maritain, subsequently argued that “Good Christians make
good citizens, and good citizens make strong democracies.” (Kelly, 2005). He made the case that
good Christians uphold the principles of the gospel: compassion, honesty, and integrity. They
abide by the law. They fight against consumerism and doubt-induced selfishness. He emphasized
the importance of Christianity, especially in terms of natural law, where he believed that
Christians would conform more than anyone. 

This quote from Jacques Maritain explains how Christianity affects society, politics, and the
economy eventually. He was certain that Christians and their ideals should be accepted into
public discourse rather than being barred. Christianity is rooted in the natural law and is therefore
essential in society. According to Fagan (1996), one of America's greatest national resources is
the widespread practice of religious beliefs in Western nations, especially Christianity. It makes
people, families, communities, and society as a whole stronger. It has a considerable impact on
educational and employment outcomes, and it lessens the prevalence of serious societal issues
like unwed pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, crime, and juvenile delinquency. Scholars
hypothesize that Christianity can impact economic outcomes through its doctrines promoting
honesty, good conduct,  work ethics, and trust. The modern economy was affected by Western
Christianity when democracy was formed. Christianity and its followers' conviction that God is
the ultimate source of all authority encouraged the creation of democracy. Democracy lasted
long and is still widely practiced today throughout the world. Furthermore, Christianity affects
the economy through its religious assemblies (churches, chapels, and arenas) which increases the
economic value of some countries. The economy is greatly aided by religiously related charities,
organizations, hospitals, schools, and other institutions that carry out various types of good deeds
every day. In America, the socioeconomic value of religion to its economy is around $1.2 trillion
annually (Grim, 2021). This shows beyond doubt that religions, specifically Christianity, have a
significant impact on the modern economy.

Lastly, Jacques Maritain’s philosophy of Integral Humanism aims to unite the various aspects of
the human being without undermining or minimizing either. This theory of his was based on the
Christian conception of life, that humans have supremacy over his references to spiritual and
moral values. It promoted the actions of numerous individuals, political movements, and social
groups to awaking of their Christian conscience. The social and political issues of the past have
given rise to new political structures and socioeconomic growth. With this philosophy, he
believed that in a world with diverse cultures and religions, there are universal moral principles
that are established by a philosophy of natural law. It is not necessary to choose nor sacrifice one
between the vertical and horizontal movement, as they were supposed to be pursued
simultaneously.

Sources:
https://archive.org/details/christianitydemo0000mari_o7x9
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacques-Maritain
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/maritain/
https://www.heritage.org/civil-society/report/why-religion-matters-the-impact-religious-practice-
social-stability#
https://www.deseret.com/faith/2021/5/12/22429166/the-unseen-economic-social-impact-of-
american-faith-brian-grim-religious-freedom-business-foundation