God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School

by John Cortines, Gregory Baumer, Randy Alcorn (Foreword)

Two young Harvard MBAs on the fast track to wealth and success tell their story of God's transforming power and how Scripture brought them to the startling conclusion that they should give the majority of their money away to those in need. Packed with compelling case studies, research, and practical strategies, God and Money offers an honest look at what the Bible says about generous giving. No matter what your salary may be, God and Money shows you how you can reap the rewards of radical generosity in your own life.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Money, Business, Christian Living, Finance

256 pages, Paperback

Published June 7, 2016

Reviews

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly one of the best books I have ever read. Not only does it have great spiritual examples and personal anecdotes, but John and Greg lead such lives of examples and are true servants of God and His Kingdom. If you are a person of faith and don't always feel the fulfillment of a Christ-lived life, or seek success but still feel empty, read this book! It'll change how you think about wealth, success, and your life's purpose

[David Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing that intrigued me about this book was that the study on which it is based took place at Harvard --- not known to be a bastion of evangelical spirituality. That said, the authors did a fine, comprehensive job presenting the Biblical case for generosity; even to the point of becoming "radical" givers themselves.

They begin with a thorough look at what the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, has to say about money, wealth and giving, followed by seven core principles of Biblical wealth and giving. In the process, they also examine teachings from other faiths, as well as secular viewpoints, concerning finances and generosity.

With that foundation laid, they then describe in detail three types of "money mindsets" (spender, saver, or servant), helping the reader locate themselves in one of the three categories. The last section is an exhaustive (sometimes exhausting) look at practical ways to plan and implement a lifetime giving strategy ... from a personal "board of directors" (for counsel and transparency) to preparing an annual financial report, goal-setting and much more.

I'd have liked a few more "real-life" stories, not just of how individuals and families implemented the logistics and frameworks to be consistent givers, but how their heart-change happened and some of the unexpected insights and blessings they experienced along the way.

I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in making a genuine difference, and a life-changing impact in the world, through wise and generous giving.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not that I disliked this book, it has some great examples, references to scripture, and practical advice, but the book’s target audience seems in a higher income bracket than a single, high school teacher. Even still, I like the idea that it’s not about how much you can give but how much you actually need to save and that frees you to give the rest. I also like the idea of living in a state of abundance and find that correlates well with gratitude journals, etc... and with a little creativity, I can apply much of their research to time as opposed to money.

But all the same, I would occasionally lose focus and drift off, especially when they mentioned how one of them had a 1k monthly budget for restaurants alone or when they brought up the rule of finance to buying a house with a mortgage that is only 25% of your monthly income. In my position right now, the comparisons were too far of a stretch for me to enjoy the book as much as I might in different circumstances.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most important books I’ve read to date. I wish I had access to it as soon as I began my career making a paycheck (perhaps sooner). The guiding premise of the book is shifting the Christian mindset from “How much do I need to give?” to “How much do I need to keep?”

Not only is stewardship rightly and thoroughly approached from the biblical view first and foremost, but the authors provide helpful frameworks that can serve as beneficial launching points for readers to make tangible changes towards a steward mindset. Specific topics like saving for a house, retirement, and even for future children’s inheritances are covered which I found most helpful, as many other Christian writings on the topics of finances steer clear of specifics and frameworks. I found the authors’ willingness to be transparent with their own lives extremely helpful in this regard. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking biblical background and encouragement around giving while also looking for practical ways to implement in their own lives.

[Emily Reimold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers what the Bible says about money at the start and then delves into some scriptural practices. It's one of the more radical books on money that I've read and using it as a resource God has blessed you with and not just as something that belongs to you because you've somehow earned it. This book was written over a decade ago and a lot has changed in our economy, but you can still glean a lot of wisdom from them and tailor the amounts to what you could do. I do absolutely love the idea the book is centered on which is that it's not about how much can I (or need to) give away, it's about how much do you really need to keep and giving the rest away.

[Walter Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. I would recommend it to those interested in personal finance, and those not interested in personal finance. This book has much to say about generosity and balancing saving and spending to be a servant and steward with the resources God has placed in our hands.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so challenging! I really enjoyed it & will ponder its assertions & suggestions for a long time.

[Phil Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early chapters are very basic for anyone familiar with basic financial theology, but the rest of the book is unique, offering windows into the way individual Christians exercise generosity and providing practical ideas and frameworks for money management - based on the idea that it's not "how much should I give?" but "how much do I need to keep?"

Not all ideas will be applicable or helpful to all people, but the discussion itself is a fresh addition to a topic that doesn't get much non-general attention.

[Rachel Hickle Apsher · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. While I think there are good principles that anyone could draw from in this book, it is definitely geared towards readers in a higher socioeconomic status. As someone who falls in that category though, I found it very helpful and it has given me a lot of food for thought.

[Sam Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biblically based approach to the topic of money. The first 100 pages were the best of the book. Many examples were of extremely high level income individuals that the common man wouldn’t be able to relate to. Otherwise, a sound book.

[Grace Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The question we should be asking ourselves as Christians is not ‘how much should we give?’ but rather ‘how much do we need to keep?’”

Great read!

[Montana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!! Challenged my view on money and gave a wonderful perspective on what the Bible had to say about it (which is a lot!!). The authors gave very practical guidance on saving, spending, and giving. Also talked about the idea of a financial finish line which blew my mind!! Recommend for every young adult to read!

[Sarah]

This book was a good look at a hard topic. Are you a Spender, Saver or Servant was a primary question throughout the book. The conclusion they gave suggesting wherever you sit you could serve more, for all of your money belongs to God.

[Sarah Hickle · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's not about how much you should give but how much you need to keep." This book has helped me view joyful, sacrificial giving in a new light and has honestly given me a better perspective on biblical passages about riches. While saving an abundance of money can seem like the fiscally responsible (and often strongly Christian-endorsed) way to handle finances, Christ warns against storing riches in barns (of which the current equivalent may as well be maxing out retirement funds and looking to buy the next bigger house). There is still so much to learn, but this book has definitely helped shift my mindset from auto-pilot tithing and aggressive saving to a hopefully more Biblical view of giving generously and joyfully, only saving what will likely be needed. (nothing against retirement funds or houses, but when the end goal is always more savings and nicer things, it can easily turn into money hoarding with a constant desire to raise the ceiling of your net worth)

[Abhinav · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and timely book that helped me to ask good questions about money and our philosophy around stewarding it well. The paradigm shift from the question “how much should we give” to “how much should we keep” gave me a fresh new way of looking at giving to God’s Kingdom. All we have is a gift from God, and we give because He gave first, abundantly and sacrificially. Coritnes and Baumer explored stories of faithful givers and the techniques they had employed to use their wealth in a way that honored God, in their spending, saving and giving. I recommend this book to everyone, it is highly practical and an especially important read and challenge in the midst of a culture of consumerism and excess.

[Betsy Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really transformed my thinking on giving and generosity . My favorite quote was ...a faithful reading of Scripture leads not to the question “How much should I give? “but rather to the question “How much do I need to keep?” The book doesn’t make you feel guilty for wanting to save for college or retirement, yet challenges you to think about how much is enough and reduce our earthly possessions by giving to kingdom causes while we are living. Note: this is not a “how to” book on getting out debt.

[Chris Delany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a gift from God. Got to use this book to fight against the love of money in my heart and revealed how my tendancy to be a saver was actually revealing a lack of security and lack of trust in the Lord, and was actually an act of disobedience. A heart that truly trust God is not frugal but generous, as Christ showed us extreme generosity, and made himself poor that we might become rich. The God-honoring path is not to be a spender or a saver, but a servant, using the resources that God has given us to serve God and his kingdom.

I absolutely loved the review of money throughout the Bible and also hearing the practical case studies. I have work to do to assess my own finances and ask "how much do I really need to save and spend?". I also want to take steps to increasing my generosity and trust in the Lord. I need to repent of my finding security and hope in money rather than God. All of our money, our ability just to make money, our possessions, and our whole lives belong to God. As he has blessed us, he calls us to be a blessing to others.

[Ben Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book that challenged my thinking around radical generosity and a foundation on which to build my relationship with money. I appreciated the foundational approach of Scripture as well as the significant time spent on practical application. The book does use examples of primarily upper class earners, but it was inspiring to these levels of radical generosity. The principles are widely applicable in the Christian community, but the experience of many of the examples is not normative. Overall the book is a good way to bring some practical talking points to a Scripturally-based mindset of radical generosity.

[Jose Cura-Zuniga · Rating 5 out of 5]

A convicting, thoughtful, thorough, simple– and most importantly– biblical understanding of what a Christian’s relationship with money entails.

The major idea of the book is that the question Christian’s should tackle with is not “How much should I give?” but rather, “How much should I keep?” given that everything we have is a blessing from God. This book explains what the Bible says about money, and how this knowledge can be applied to every aspect of our life (vacations, tithing, retirement, college fund, mortgage, etc.) This book has deeply impacted how I view money, and I know will be something I go back to re-read for many years to come.

[Patrick Dickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read. Quick and to the point. Very convicting for affluent American Christians. Rather than asking, “Do I have to tithe 10%? And if so, should that be pre-tax or post-tax?” The authors flip the question on its head. As a follower of Jesus and a member of the Kingdom of heaven, “How much should I keep? And where can I give the rest that has a powerful Kingdom impact?” The authors challenge you to consider eternity in light wealth building and earning an income so as to not miss out on the joys of generosity. The book strikes a good balance between theological and practical in the modern world.

[Brad Bevers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time I've read this, even better this time around. This was my pick for best book I read in 2019, but much of what I planned on applying was interrupted by Covid. Going back and reading this again made me realize how valuable this book is, and its definitely worth re-reading again in the future. This one will really challenge you, and you probably won't agree with everything in it. The authors advocate for an annual income cap, a lifetime wealth cap, aggressive giving, and not leaving behind a large inheritance for your kids. It's rare that a Christian book gives such definitive applications - whether you agree or disagree ultimately, you will be better off for having read it. Highly recommended.

[Allison Dittman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book because it biblically challenges readers to unleash generosity. Instead of adopting a spender or saver mindset, the authors encourages a servant mentality. The servant mentality seeks to, yes save and spend, but to bless others and to further God’s Kingdom through our wealth. Did you know that the Bible has more than 2,000 verses about the topic of money? This book highlights some passages and gives strategies for sound stewardship.

[Steve Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Great book. Very thought provoking and a major paradigm shift. Attempts to answer what is “enough” and instead of asking “how much should I give?”…focuses on “how much should I keep?”. Lots to ponder. Looking forward to discovering more of the joy of generosity….and the mindset of God’s abundance vs scarcity.

[Rachael Griggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not expect for this book to be as engaging as it was! I have so much to think and pray about. The authors make an incredibly compelling case for the radical generosity believers are called to and provide very specific examples of what that looks like in today’s culture. This might be the most impactful book I read this year!

[Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most practical and powerful books on Christian living that I’ve read. Challenged, encouraged and equipped me to develop a Biblical approach to financial stewardship. Strong recommendation from me.

[Emily Wiebold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes and will challenge me in ways I had never really thought about before. While I didn’t agree with all of the policies in it, it was still a great read. “How much do you really need to keep?”

[Jordan Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It put words to Biblical convictions I had been unable to express for quite some time. Because of this book, my wife and I will be more faithful stewards of our finances.

[Ken Haak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book turned out to be a great book. It challenges us to turn our thinking from how much should we give to how much should I keep. Chapter 6-8 has all the gold in this book. It’s a great read for all to be challenged in their thinking about giving and generosity.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aimed at the wealthy western reader. Less relevant for anyone else, but still has some important thoughts around how to shift a mindset around money… if you can ignore the constant reminder that the authors graduated from Harvard business school. Not garbage but also not a must-read.

[Grant E. Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE book to read if you want to know what God says about money and how we should live in light of what He has said.