40 years of ‘biblical sense’ lessons: Economics professor from Taiwan traces incredible faith journey 

Whether he is teaching his students to be good stewards of God’s provision or finding hope during the dark times of his own life, Liberty University School of Business Professor Dr. Andrew Light points to the Bible for answers. Light has taught economics and business at Liberty for nearly 40 years, imparting his wisdom and life experience from his home country of Taiwan and the Lord’s mercy throughout his career.

While poor by American standards, Light said as he grew up, his family had what they needed for a simple life in Tainan County, Taiwan. His parents did not practice any faith. A friend invited him to a Christian church as a teenager, but Light said he was “in and out” of attending. Like other children of the time and culture, his studies were his focus, and he had to pass entrance exams to attend a quality middle school, high school, and college.

“In my generation, we study hard. I didn’t really even know what I wanted to study (for a career) and didn’t want to study, but I wanted to please my parents, so I tried my best to have the best grades,” Light said. “I didn’t do much else, I just studied. By God’s grace, I passed the middle school entrance exam, so I was able to attend the best middle school in Tainan City and later the best high school. After I graduated college (with an undergraduate degree), I got into the best graduate school.”

Light said his original major was mathematics, but he switched to popular finance when he saw it had “equations with meaning to them.” His economics professor held a degree from the United States and used an English textbook in class, meaning Light informally studied English along with his economics material.

He attended one of the most esteemed universities in Taiwan, National Taiwan University, where he met his wife, Susan, in the economics program. After graduation, Light was working at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research when he decided he needed more training and began looking into Ph.D. programs in the United States.

But before he left for the U.S., he made an even larger decision than the one to fly across the Pacific. In 1979, he experienced a period of depression and could not bring himself to share his struggles with anyone and didn’t know where to look. Something stirred him to grab a Bible, and he began in the book of Matthew. He spent each night searching for an answer to his problem.

“I have to thank God because I never gave up while I was trying to find an answer,” Light said. “I kept on reading and reading until I came to 2 Corinthians 7:10 — ‘Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.’ The second half of that verse was the answer from God for my problem. Since God told me that worldly sorrow brings death, I knew I couldn’t stay how I was. I had to change and trust Jesus. I took one day off work, I rode my bicycle to church, met with a (pastor) who had helped me study the Bible, and I told him that I wanted to be baptized and trust Jesus.”

“By God’s mercy, He used His Word to answer my question and heal my troubles and help me make the decision to follow Him,” he added.

Having saved enough for a plane ticket and two pieces of luggage, Light made his way to Virginia Tech on a teaching assistant scholarship. Laughing at himself in hindsight, Light said he thought living in Virginia meant he could easily fish in the Atlantic Ocean every day, not knowing that the campus was about five hours from the coast.

In the decades that followed, Light shared the Gospel with his parents however he could, as international phone calls were expensive at the time.

“I would pray for my parents to become Christians, and every time I would go back to visit them, I shared the Gospel, knowing that only the Holy Spirit can make that change in the hearts and minds,” Light said. “By God’s grace, they both became Christians.”

A year later, he transferred to Ohio State to study alongside Susan, where he completed his Ph.D. in economics.

After teaching at Ohio State for a year, Light saw a job opening to teach at Liberty. In 1985, both he and Susan were hired to teach at Liberty. Susan taught computer science and information systems at Liberty until 2006.

From the time he started at Liberty, Light has carried out his passion for teaching students Christian principles in economics and business. He spent a year reading through the Bible and taking notes on every mention of money, stewardship, and related topics, essentially creating an index that he adapted into a textbook, “Biblical Sense Economics,” that he now uses in his class. He chooses not to earn royalties on the book, saying it is simply a contribution to the lives of his students.

“I tell my students, ‘You can forget about common sense economics, but you cannot forget about biblical principles because they can help you for the rest of your life,’” Light said. “When they buy this book, they get to keep it and remember the things God says. That is the purpose of the book, not for their grades. The most important thing is that the students can learn about the Bible and what it says.”

Across his 40 years at Liberty, he said he has witnessed the Spirit of the Lord do wonders on Liberty Mountain, from a school that struggled financially in the 1990s to a prominent Christian university known for its leading online programs and world-class academics and facilities.

“When I look back at my (40 years), I see the work of God and the faith of (Liberty founder) Dr. Jerry Falwell. He was so faithful, and he always said Liberty is God’s school. You can see God’s hand on this school. I get along really well with my colleagues because we all share the same standards, and we are all Christians. It is a special place to be.”

Like many other professors at Liberty, Light makes a point to collect students’ prayer requests during class. Whenever a student visits him in his office, Light hands them a copy of Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost for His Highest,” a favorite book of his and Falwell’s. In a more specific outreach over the years, he and his wife have sought out opportunities to welcome and mentor international students from Taiwan and China, inviting them to church and opening their home.

Light said he has no plans to retire soon from teaching, and his reason is simple: “God keeps telling me to stay here and keep teaching. As long as He keeps saying that, I’ll stay.”