To Invent Is Divine: Creativity and Ownership

by James R. Edwards

Overview

Christians generally know that God created “the heavens and the earth” and made human beings in his image. They know that “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” — he owns his creations. They know that skilled people create and own marvelous works. But a disconnect often occurs when it comes to God’s communicable attributes of creativity and ownership and that combination’s role in human innovation, technological progress, and practical benefits from human creativity and ownership. To Invent Is Divine connects the dots between creativity and ownership, as well as the dots between that combination and the fruits of human flourishing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781956454857
Publisher:	Fidelis Publishing
Publication date:	05/28/2025
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

James R. Edwards, Jr., Ph.D., Founder and CEO of ELITE Strategic Services, L.L.C., consults on intellectual property, antitrust, health, and transportation policy. He plays leadership, strategic, and advisory roles on IP, particularly patents. Edwards consults to corporations, trade associations, and nonprofits, and has mentored start-ups and early-stage companies, many in med tech. He participates in the Medical Device Manufacturers Association's Patent Working Group. As Co-Director of the Inventor's Project, he was instrumental in the formation of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Inventions Caucus. In 2017, Jim founded the coalition Conservatives for Property Rights, made up of center-right organizations representing a cross-section of the Conservative Movement. CPR emphasizes the importance of property rights in every form of private property. He serves as CPR’s Executive Director. Edwards contributes articles to IPWatchdog.com and has been published in such outlets as Intellectual Asset Management magazine, IEEE-USA’s Insight, the Washington Times, Real Clear Policy, and The Hill. His other publications include author of a noted monograph, Property Rights: The Key to National Wealth and National Security; Restoring “Morning in America” to Regain Industrial Competitiveness (2018); coauthor of The Congressional Politics of Immigration Reform (Allyn & Bacon, 1998) with James G. Gimpel, which was nominated for the Hardeman Prize; and contributor to several edited volumes. Jim Edwards is involved in various IP projects and appears in the documentary film, Innovation Race (2022), which is about the vital role IP plays in America’s contest with China for global technological leadership. Jim has spoken across the country on IP, invention, and innovation, including at conferences, such as the Licensing Executives Society USA & Canada and SCBIO, and at Faith & Law and First Baptist Church of Dallas’s Discipleship University. He began working on IP policy in the 1980s as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill, first in the U.S. Senate and later in the U.S. House of Representatives. Edwards was selected as a 1998 Lincoln Fellow of the Claremont Institute and was awarded an Eagle Award in 2017 by Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund. Edwards, a South Carolina native, holds degrees from the University of Georgia and from the University of Tennessee.

Table of Contents

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Editorial Reviews

"Jim Edwards’s captivating book [To Invent Is Divine] interweaves fundamental reli­gious thought with intellectual property and patent law, a synthesis as fascinating as it is novel. He combines inventor stories with legal and religious principles that seem well matched, adding momentum to his presentation.” —Hon. Paul R. Michel, chief judge (ret.), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

“Public policy discussions of intellectual property rights typically center on purely material concerns, such as the creation, ownership, or distribution of IP-generated wealth. James Edwards’s provocative new book, To Invent Is Divine, transcends the typical narrative by highlighting the Judeo-Christian understanding that the ‘creative human spark’ behind IP comes from God—the Creator of man and the Author of all that is good.” —Alden F. Abbott, senior research fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University, and former general counsel, Federal Trade Commission

“To Invent Is Divine is a tour de force of theology, political theory, intellectual history, and intellectual property law. Its description of the historical development and legal details of the U.S. patent system is especially impressive… Edwards brilliantly makes the case that the success of America as the shining city on the hill is due in large part to the uniquely American patent system.” —Adam Mossoff, professor of law, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University

“In this insightful and thought-provoking work, Edwards… connects innovation to the divine spark instilled by our Creator, assert­ing that ownership of creation is a natural extension of dominion… He also addresses con­temporary challenges to the U.S. intellectual property system, offering a compelling call to safeguard the innovation ecosystem.” —Laura A. Peter, former deputy undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and deputy director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

“Jim’s new book, To Invent Is Divine, highlights the divine inspiration behind invention and creativity, a truth well-known in the intellec­tual property community. The ancient Hermetics believed that the pursuit of knowledge was the pursuit of the divine, and Jim’s book clearly illustrates this. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in intellectual property and its foundational principles.” —Brad Watts, former Republican chief counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Intellectual Property

“With a tour de force through the history of invention and intellectual property protections, Jim Edwards draws a fascinating connection between Scripture and creativity. In the end, the creations of our mind and the fruits of our labor are uniquely human and belong naturally to, and should be owned by, the humans who create them… Using inspiring examples of some of the most prolific inventors in American history, Edwards demonstrates that rights naturally belong to the inven­tors and the State’s obligation is to protect them through the rule of law.” —Hon. Andrei Iancu, former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

“Jim Edwards is a champion of inventors’ rights. He’s written a brilliant explanation of the biblical basis for rewarding inventions. To Invent Is Divine is a fascinating analysis of how important and spiritual our Founders’ protection of patent rights is, and why we need to return to that system.” —Andy Schlafly, counsel, Phyllis Schlafly Eagles and Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund

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