What Is Biblically Responsible Investing?
You probably did not find this article by accident.
Maybe a friend mentioned it. Maybe you heard the term on a podcast, at a seminar, or in an ad. Maybe you have been going to church for decades, thinking carefully about how your family gives and spends and lives, and somewhere along the way a question started forming that you could not quite shake.
The question is whether the money sitting in your retirement account, growing quietly every quarter, is funding something you would never consciously choose to fund.
That question is what Biblically Responsible Investing is designed to answer. And most people who sit down with us and see their existing portfolio through the lens of biblical values for the first time describe a version of the same experience: they were not prepared for what they found.
What Does Biblically Responsible Investing Mean?
Biblically Responsible Investing, commonly abbreviated as BRI, is an approach to managing an investment portfolio that applies biblical values as a filter in two directions.
It screens out companies whose business operations or active advocacy directly contradict what Scripture affirms. And it intentionally seeks companies that operate with the integrity, care for people, and ethical discipline that align with a Christian understanding of good work in the world.
The underlying premise is straightforward. When you own shares in a mutual fund, an ETF, or a 401(k), you are a part owner of every company inside that fund. You share in their profits. You are, in a meaningful sense, a financial partner with those businesses. BRI asks whether you have examined who your partners actually are.
The Part That Tends to Land Hardest
The most common retirement savings vehicles in America - standard index funds, target-date retirement funds, and the default options inside most employer 401(k) plans - are constructed without any regard for whether the companies inside them align with Christian values. They are built to track the market, not to reflect convictions.
When we run an Inspire Impact analysis on a client's existing portfolio, what comes back is often a detailed account of companies scoring deeply negative on biblical values criteria. Not obscure companies. Not fringe cases. Household names that appear in the top holdings of the most widely held funds in the country.
Companies that manufacture abortion drugs. Companies that fund employee abortion travel. Companies that actively lobby against biblical definitions of marriage and family. Companies that produce and distribute sexually explicit content. All of them represented, often significantly, in portfolios held by Christians who would never consciously choose to invest in those things.
The reaction we see most often is not anger. It is something closer to the feeling of learning an important fact that you realize you should have known sooner. The information was always available. No one had ever walked through it with them before.
What BRI Screens Out
A BRI framework applies what are called negative screens, meaning it excludes companies with meaningful involvement in specific categories. The most common categories are:
- Abortion. Companies that manufacture abortifacient drugs, fund employee abortion travel, or use corporate resources to lobby for expanded abortion access.
- Sexually explicit content. Companies that produce or distribute pornographic or adult entertainment material.
- LGBT activism. Companies that actively fund campaigns, lobbying efforts, or advocacy organizations working against biblical definitions of marriage and family.
- Gambling. Companies whose primary business model is gaming and wagering.
- Alcohol and tobacco. Companies that manufacture and commercially market these substances as their core business.
- Cannabis. Companies operating in the recreational marijuana industry.
These screens are applied at the level of active, primary involvement. BRI does not demand a perfect company. The line is drawn at companies whose core activity or deliberate corporate advocacy is in direct opposition to biblical values.
What BRI Screens For
A well-constructed BRI portfolio actively seeks companies demonstrating the kind of business conduct that Scripture affirms: honest work, fair treatment of employees, genuine service to customers, and responsible stewardship of resources and community.
The research on this point is worth examining. A 2014 University of Oxford meta-analysis reviewed 190 academic studies on the relationship between ethical governance and financial performance and found that the majority suggested a positive relationship between strong ethics practices and stock performance.* These findings do not guarantee that any BRI portfolio will outperform a non-screened portfolio. Past performance does not predict future results, and all investing involves risk. What the research does suggest is that the characteristics BRI looks for are not in inherent conflict with financial performance.
Companies that treat employees with dignity tend to attract and retain better people. Companies that operate honestly tend to avoid the regulatory and reputational consequences of deception. Companies that serve customers well tend to build more durable businesses. The characteristics that BRI looks for are not only morally preferable. In many cases, they describe what a well-run organization actually looks like.
*Source: Clark, G.L., Feiner, A., and Viehs, M. (2015). "From the Stockholder to the Stakeholder: How Sustainability Can Drive Financial Outperformance." University of Oxford and Arabesque Partners.
The Scriptural Case for Intentional Stewardship
The principle Paul articulates does not apply only to obvious moral decisions. It applies to the full scope of how we conduct ourselves, including how we manage what God has entrusted to us. The theology of stewardship that runs throughout Scripture carries a consistent message: we are not owners of the resources we hold. We are managers. That responsibility does not pause when the subject shifts from giving and spending to investing.
This is not an argument for guilt about past decisions made without adequate information. Most people who come to us have simply never been shown what their portfolio contains. The argument is that once you have accurate information, you are in a position to make a genuinely intentional decision.
Faith and Finance in the Same Conversation
When Duane and Laura M. came to us, they had built their investments over 30 years. They were not in crisis. They came because they wanted their financial life and their faith to belong together.
"Matthew took the time to understand our financial goals, risk tolerance, and personal beliefs, ensuring that every decision made was not only financially sound but also in harmony with what matters most." — Duane and Laura M.
The phrase "in harmony with what matters most" is a precise description of what BRI is designed to accomplish. Not a trade-off between performance and conviction. Alignment between them.
Jim P., who has worked with us for over a decade, put it another way:
"He manages my investments as if they were his own." — Jim P.
For a client who wants an advisor who takes both dimensions of the conversation seriously, that is what it looks like in practice.
The above are testimonials from current clients of Stars and Sand Financial. No compensation was provided in exchange for these testimonials. Individual client experiences and results will vary. These testimonials may not be representative of the experience of all clients.
See What Your Portfolio Actually Contains
If you have an existing portfolio and want to understand what it actually contains, the most useful thing you can do is request a portfolio impact review.
We will run a full analysis of your current holdings against biblical values criteria and walk you through exactly what you own, what it scores, and what your options are. Most people who go through this process for the first time find it clarifying in ways they did not anticipate. Not everything comes back negative. Some companies score well. But for most standard index funds and target-date retirement accounts, the results reveal a more complete picture than the investor has ever had.
There is no cost to the review and no obligation to make any changes. It is simply accurate information, presented clearly, so you can decide for yourself what you want to do next.
Request a Complimentary Portfolio Impact ReviewOr reach us at info@starsandsandfinancial.com
Texas: (682) 708-0550 | California: (707) 471-5350
Built for Christians Who Take Both Seriously
We built Stars and Sand Financial for Christians who believe that financial planning and faith belong in the same conversation.
Our team includes CFP, CKA, and APMA credentialed professionals. The CKA - Certified Kingdom Advisor - is the recognized professional standard for Christian financial advice. It requires completion of rigorous coursework in biblical financial principles, demonstrated technical competence in a relevant financial discipline, and letters of reference from both a pastor and established clients.
We serve Christian individuals and families, small business owners, churches, and ministries across the country. We work with clients in California and Texas and virtually with Christians nationwide.
If you want to understand what your current portfolio actually holds, or if you want to explore what a BRI-aligned financial plan could look like for your situation, we are glad to have that conversation. There is no obligation in the initial meeting. We will ask careful questions, listen, and give you an honest picture of where things stand. What you decide to do with that information is entirely up to you.
Or reach us at info@starsandsandfinancial.com
Texas: (682) 708-0550 | California: (707) 471-5350
Investment advisory services are offered through Inspire Advisors LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser with the SEC. Stars and Sand Financial is a registered trade name. This article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment advice. Nothing in this article should be construed as an offer, solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement of any particular security, strategy, or investment product. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. The BRI approach described reflects biblical values as interpreted by Inspire Advisors and may not align with the views or beliefs of all investors. Please consult your financial advisor before making any investment decision.