Ideas pertaining to economics and social order were central concerns of the early Christian church, yet modern theologians and scholars have paid little or no attention to these issues as important theological questions. This brilliant and thorough study is a history of the views that Christians held of the origin, significance and use of wealth. Justo Gonzalez examines early Christian ideas, beliefs and teachings about the use of money, property, communal sharing and the rights and obligations of rich and poor. Setting the Christian community in the political, social and economic contexts of the times, Gonzalez highlights the ideas of such prominent writers as Cyprian, Ambrose, Augustine, John Chrysostom, and the Desert Fathers concerning wealth -- noting what traditional scholarship has overlooked. As the author points out, this book is not a social or economic history of Christianity during the first four centuries; it is a history of the views that Christians held on economic matters. This profound, enlightening and highly readable work of excellent scholarship is a major contribution to the study of the history of Christian thought. It clearly demonstrates that the issues of economics and social justice are central theological concerns, deeply rooted in Christian doctrine and Christian tradition.

The problem is wealth, not poverty -- Introducing the problem of wealth -- The centrality of economics in Christian theology -- Economism and the ethic of scarcity -- When, why, and how? The boundary between economics and theology -- The current dominant forms of wealth creation and the ethic of scarcity -- Digging for roots to nourish an ethic of enough -- Social trinity, love, and the ethic of enough -- Extensive roots: ecocentric and theocentric visions of economy from a wider variety of the world's great faith traditions -- Increasing the theological and moral imagination of the U.S. middle class -- Real people embodying different values -- Parables for sharing -- Concluding observations and a call to action

For those who own it, wealth can have extraordinary advantages. High levels of wealth can enhance educational attainment, create occupational opportunities, generate social influence and provide a buffer against financial emergencies. Even a small amount of savings can improve security, mitigate the effects of job loss and other financial setbacks and improve well-being dramatically. Although the benefits of wealth are significant, they are not enjoyed uniformly throughout the United States. In the United States, because religion is an important part of cultural orientation, religious beliefs should affect material well-being. This book explores the way religious orientations and beliefs affect Americans' incomes, savings and net worth.

They think you're rich. Do they think you're godly? Your supporters consider you saintly and self-sacrificing. Your Middle Eastern friends might beg to differ. So might God. Wealth and Piety explores biblical and Arab cultural expectations for getting, using, talking about, and giving money. This book contains hundreds of verbatim observations about local and foreign wealth by thirty-five Middle Easterners from nine countries, representing all major religious groups. These comments are a mirror in which workers can see their own status and moral reputation as people of the region see them. Combining biblical commentary, cultural analysis and practical advice for expats, Wealth and Piety is designed for both new and experienced workers, as well as mission leaders, administrators, supporters, and donors. Although focused on the Middle East, much of the wisdom of this book is valuable for workers anywhere in the Muslim world or in societies characterized by patronage or an honor/shame orientation.

Here is where I am supposed to say something to inspire you to read the book, but the truth is that there is a person who would be more inspirational, that person is your future self. I can only say that right now is like the moment when a person hiking in the desert runs across at shiny object from a distance. In that first moment they may think it is just something they have seen before, like a worthless piece of scrap metal or a shiny rock, and they may even consider ignoring it and moving on. It is only when they decide to go closer and to examine what they have found that they begin to understand how great that decision was. The shiny object turns out to be a rare solid gold lamp, and further examination reveals that inside of the lamp is an ancient treasure map showing the location to multiple precious treasures. Your future self would tell you that this moment, when you decided to examine this book, is when you made one of the best and most important decisions in your life. The writings here are the end result of a life long quest for life’s treasures. Early in life I spent decades searching for something of great value, but I never found it. I wanted to find a book with the complete answers about how to get the most desired things in life. I could not find what I was searching for in the schools or universities I attended. I never found all the answers from any book, professor, religious leader, business person, political leader, philosopher, or scientist. And in the end, I only found many small bits and pieces of a much larger puzzle. I wished for something with all the pieces put together. Then I decided to put all the pieces together, and to actually write the book I never found. This is THE book. This book does the seemingly impossible, it actually contains the complete information on how to acquire the most desired things in life for everyone in every stage of life!

A guide to investing in heaven and being “rich toward God” Christians often hesitate to talk about money in spiritual contexts, but in the gospels Jesus talks more about money than about “religious” topics like prayer and heaven. Money Matters advocates following Jesus’s lead in engaging with matters of economy and finance in a faith-driven way, in both our individual and our corporate lives. The authors draw on their contrasting life experiences to offer a well-rounded look at money in the twenty-first century. Paul Stevens, who grew up well-off in Canada and worked as a carpenter, a banker, and later a pastor and professor of theology, finds a complementary voice in Clive Lim, who grew up without money in Singapore, and now works there as an entrepreneur and head of a family investment firm. With frequent scriptural references, Stevens and Lim offer insight into navigating the economic systems of today, aiming to help individuals, churches, and societies become faithful stewards who store up “treasures in heaven” by investing in the kingdom of God. Money Matters is a comprehensive yet accessible guide to integrating one’s faith with one’s approach to money. Just as the Bible variously treats money as a blessing, a sacrament, and a problem, so do Stevens and Lim approach this matter judiciously—avoiding the prosperity gospel on one side and the demonization of material wealth on the other. Capitalism is treated as what it is: a system that has created widespread opportunity and relieved poverty for millions while also exacerbating the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The authors’ wisdom is at turns theological, historical, and practical—and always focused on what it means to live with faithful integrity in our contemporary global economy.