Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give

by Michael Rhodes, Robby Holt, Brian Fikkert

The church in the West is rediscovering the fact that God cares deeply for the poor. More and more, churches and individual Christians are looking for ways to practice economic discipleship, but it's hard to make progress when we are blind to our own entanglement in our culture's idolatrous economic beliefs and practices.

Practicing the King's Economy cuts through much confusion and invites Christians to take their place within the biblical story of the "King Jesus Economy." Through eye-opening true stories of economic discipleship in action, and with a solid exploration of six key biblical themes, the authors offer practical ways for God's people to earn, invest, spend, compensate, save, share, and give in ways that embody God's love and provision for the world.

Foreword by Christopher J. H. Wright.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Theology, Economics, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Discipleship

318 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2018

About the author

Michael Rhodes is the Director of Community Transformation at the Memphis Center for Urban Theological Studies, where he heads up efforts to equip urban pastors and non-profit leaders with theologically informed tools for community development. Previously, Rhodes served as the Director of Education at Advance Memphis, a neighborhood non-profit offering job training, financial literacy education, GED tutoring, and entrepreneurship support to low-income residents in the South Memphis community that Rhodes and his family call home. He is the author, along with Robby Holt and Brian Fikkert, of Practicing the King’s Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give (Baker, 2018).

Reviews

[Felicity W]

Full RTC. DNFed this one. I didn’t give it a rating because I didn’t even read the first chapter. I didn’t have any interest in this book.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️. This book gives an extra-practical and biblical guide to reshaping our economic lives toward the kingdom. While is is mostly geared toward entrepreneurs, there is plenty in the book for us normal folks to think/pray about in taking action steps toward economic justice out of the finished work of Jesus.

[Catherine Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better the second time around, thanks to weekly discussions with good friends. Recommend finding a group of people to read this with as it’s a lot to wrestle with on your own.

[Elisha Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practicing the Kings Economy is a deeply practical and theological book about following Christ in our use of money. The stories from Scripture and their lives are insightful and challenging. These men are loving the poor and giving very clear next steps for everyday believers to do the same. They are living more like Jesus because of it. This book could be one of the most important books I’ve read this year as I think about how to practically love those in poverty. So grateful for this book!

[Jenna Klaassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this book is good and important but do not get your literary hopes up. Wow, the writing’s bad.
Anyway, I do think we should all read it simply because we need to think through the issues it raises. It does a really good job showing God’s economic priorities in contrast to western economic priorities and provokes plenty of thought on how handling money as a Christian should actually look. I found some of the stories and examples helpful, some a little discouragingly unrealistic? But I do think they address relevant topics and use scripture well and discuss problems helpfully.

[J.K. Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Rating- Must Read

Level - Easy read, medium length

Summary
The book basically tries to answer the question of what would it look like if we worked, ran businesses, spent money/time, and gave money/time in a way that was entirely shaped by a Biblical World View. After the intro the book is broken into 12 chapters that are based on the six 'keys' to practicing 'the King's Economy'. One chapter will introduce the key and the next is a shorter chapter that gives examples of how that key works in the real life, with examples of people/organizations that the authors know.

The six keys are - Worship, this is about who we worship. Is it God or money and how does that look in the way that we give. Community, the focus here is about having a broad community of all types of people, particularly those from different economic classes. Work, why do we work and what is the point of work? Also, what does the Old Testament concept of 'gleaning' look like in a modern world? Equity, based on the command that their be no poor among us, this isn't necessarily just about making sure everyone has money, but that every one has a job and kind provide for themselves (or help to give to others), even further, it is about making sure that those jobs are enough. Creation Care, this is about environmental stewardship. Finally, Rest, and this is a call to bring back the practice of Sabbath.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. It was probably the most thought provoking and in some way challenging book I've read in a long time. Sadly, it isn't often you read a book targeted at a popular Christian audience that makes you think, even rarely does one challenge the way you should live.

I'll get the two nit-picky things I didn't like out of the way first. I didn't really like the intro, and this was due to their misuse of stats that is a pet peeve of mine. In the intro, they are trying to show that we are richer now than ever, but more unhappy. Unfortunately, they use GDP per capita, which is a useless statistic, because it ignores income inequality and the fact that middle classes wages have been stagnant for decades. It also ignores cost like tuition and healthcare that have risen more rapidly than anything else. However, I don't disagree with their premise, if nothing else, we are at least more materialistic than ever and constantly surround ourselves with distraction. Second, and I think this is more on the editors or publisher, they only ever refer to Jesus as King Jesus, and this is done to reiterate the title, and it is just awkward and I wish authors/editors wouldn't do that.

No back to the good part, if you are modern American Christian, especially on the conservative or Republican side, this book will be a challenge. I'd suspect many hardcore Republican's won't finish this book as it challenge the assumption that making money is the most important thing in life. It also encourages people to pay living wages, which Republicans generally oppose vehemently. Of course, there are aspects that all sides of the political spectrum will like and dislike, which is a great reminder that neither political party works from a Biblical worldview and we ought not act like they do.

The first chapter, about putting God first and showing that by how we give should challenge the way we all handle money. American's like to think of ourselves as generous, but in reality we give about 2.5% of income. The Community, Equity, and Rest were interesting chapters that should make you think, and if you take take it seriously, will affect your life. And of course, it should right? The Bible calls us to be different, and especially the chapters on Community and Rest are reminders of just how different we should look. The Creation Care chapter was good and I agree with all of it, I'm a big advocate of environmental stewardship. However, it was probably the weakest on a Biblical basis, and I'm not entirely sure it fit well with the rest of the book.

The best chapter, and worth the price of the book alone, is the Work chapter. For one, many of us, especially white-collar workers who have a lot of options, struggle with what work should look like in out lives, but the crazy part is gleaning. In the Old Testament, the Jews were not allowed to fully harvest their own fields. God required that they leave the edges unpicked so that the poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners would have something that they could eat. Obviously, we are not a majority subsistence agricultural community anymore. So the authors dive into what it could look like and the ideas are fascinating and in some ways pretty radical to the way we view life in America.

I don't necessarily agree with some of their options, or at least the way that they would work out in most places, but they are thought provoking nonetheless. It is certainly something I've never thought about before, but it has been on my mind sense I finished the book a few weeks ago. If you really want to be challenged and forced to think and try to rethink the way we view the economy today, and how we should view it as as Christians, this is a book for you. It is probably my favorite so far of 2018, and is definitely a  must read book.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at MondayMorningTheologian.com

[Josh Bucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, even though it was really challenging. The concepts are relatively straightforward and many of the ideas are practical, but the challenge comes from me being embedded in a culture where mammon functionally is king. It's easy to dismiss a lot of these ideas as radical and undoable, but the authors don't say we have to do every idea presented in order to be a better Christian and also share their own shortcomings. They are straightforward in challenging the reader to start small and grow in each of the six keys. I enjoyed discussing this book and brainstorming ideas with close friends because they can challenge me on ways I can implement some of the ideas and thinking presented here and help to cement Jesus as the counter-cultural lord over all areas of my life.

[Chris Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhodes and Holt balance theory and practical examples in this readable book on how we think about and use our financial resources. The chapters run in pairs, alternating between biblical exposition and real-life stories of Christians who seek to honor the Lord with their money. Although this is a book about economics, in reality, it is so much more as our economic decisions reflect our values. The authors, therefore, touch on various aspects of life in the "real world" which needs to be brought under the Lordship of Christ.

[Konrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yooooooooo. This will definitely go up on the Mount Rushmore of books that have fundamentally changed my worldview. So much practical, biblical wisdom on what it looks like to actionably love God and love our neighbors. This is a book I will come back to again and again and again.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every kingdom has an economic system and the authors present the system for the kingdom of God and what it looks like in the twenty-first century. What the authors present is certainly different than what has been promoted by the contemporary evangelical church. One might have thought that a free market economy and an emphasis on profit was God's gift to U.S. Christians.

These authors set the record straight, emphasizing what the Bible says about six areas. We read about worship and how money can be a source of idolatry. Another topic is community and how God wanted every Israelite to be a participant in that community. I was surprised by the section on work as the authors reminded me that Paul says the reason we work is so that we can share with others. (Eph. 4:28) The authors also write about equity, creation care, and rest (Sabbath).

Much of this teaching “...shatters our own contemporary economic ways of thinking.” (Loc 1580/5549) Our personal economic goals are to be centered around love of God and love of neighbor, not on personal gain.

The authors present their teaching on a topic in a chapter and then follow with a chapter of how the principles are being put into practice. Those stories are very encouraging and show that following the King's economy is much more rewarding than achieving financial gain. The authors also include practical ideas and resources for individuals and churches who decide to take positive action in following the King's economy.

I highly recommend this challenging book to every Christian. But don't read this book unless you want your financial practices severely challenged. This book would be an excellent one for church boards to read or, better yet, for an entire church to read. You will be encouraged by the generosity of God and inspired to reflect that generosity to others.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Justin Lonas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among the perks of working for and with authors is that you get to read, edit, and comment on books before everyone else sees them. This is the case with this volume, due out in April 2018 from Baker books.

Rhodes, Holt, and Fikkert make a compelling exegetical and practical case for a biblical reorientation of our economic lives around a vision of Christ’s already-but-not-yet kingdom. This is explored through six keys (worship, community, work, equity, creation care, and rest) each bolstered with thorough study of scripture and real-life, attainable examples.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhodes and Holt penned Practicing the King's Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give in 2018 through Baker Books. It's a delight. (And I'm not just saying that because Rhodes ministers in the Memphis community!) The two authors make extensive use of the Old Testament as a well from which one can draw socio-ethical norms rather than merely as a place from which one learns one's depravity in the face of god. In addition to their deft use of Torah and Nevi'im, the authors intersperse real-life examples of their principles in action and continually push the reader to make use of what they learn in the book. Practicing the King's Economy would be a valuable contribution to the library of any church that is seeking to use their resources in a Christ-honoring manner.

The book moves through six principles or "keys," each of which are likely to set off a series of alarms in certain readers' minds. The authors begin with the Worship Key, the Community Key, and the Work Key, and they close with the Equity Key, the Creation Care Key, and the Rest Key. Before anyone assumes that this is just a bunch of lefty propaganda masquerading as biblical exegesis, one would do well to read the book for themselves. The authors firmly plant their feet in the biblical narrative and "draw out" their application from a solid read of the biblical text and of the contemporary culture.

They do not speak in generalities. Further, their forthright application of the text may cause some readers' hackles to rise. Perhaps its indicative of somebody's own unwillingness to take the Old Testament seriously as a normative text. Yahweh the King makes radical demands of those who would claim to belong to the kingdom; and yet, at the same time, the yoke is easy, the burden is light, and "it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it" (Deut. 30.14).

It is precisely at the point where the biblical command and prohibition appears to us as unreasonable, foolish even, that god is addressing us as ones brought into this kingdom from without. The unnatural strangeness of this kingdom over time becomes typical; the abnormal becomes normal--though not necessarily. It frequently grates against the kingdom out of which we were brought. And like a car that grinds its way to starting, we often find ourselves through kicks and spurts believing what is said of reality over against this anti-real world in which we abide. The hippie-lite, liberal-leaning ethos of Practicing the Kingdom and similar works will, I believe, be vindicated as a degree of faithful Christian ethics in late capitalism, naysayers notwithstanding.

Practicing the Kingdom forces us to reconcile the socio-ethical vision of god's kingdom in the scriptures with the inherited kingdom of our world. One or the other will succeed in our hearts. Holt and Rhodes give a compelling case for the former.
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Disclosure: I received this book free from Baker Books through the Baker Books Bloggers http://www.bakerbooks.com/bakerbooksb... program. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa....

[Derek DeMars · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot I love about this book but it also has a few major shortcomings.

On the positive side, this is a very thorough resource on all things to do with economic stewardship in the Bible and in the life of the church. The chapters alternate between biblical theology and practical application, and they all cover a lot of ground. Not only that, but the stories and practical suggestions for implementing the biblical teaching are all quite helpful, inspiring, and convicting. There is also a handy list of recommended resources for each topic covered in the book. It makes for quite an informative handbook on money, resources, and giving that would be useful for individual or group study. It's also a goldmine of good quotes and figures.

On the downside, despite all the stories and suggestions, this book still may leave some readers in the frustrating position of feeling burdened to want to make more of a difference in the world with their resources while still feeling too overwhelmed to know where to start. All the more so if you (like me) feel very disconnected from your broader community and aren't naturally gifted at just going out and diving into humanitarian efforts. That's not to say the book isn't helpful as a launching pad or for getting some ideas, but actually putting it into practice is still going to be challenging, and the authors don't quite manage to communicate in a way that mitigates that sense of trepidation -- at least, they didn't for this reader.

Finally, I can't help but mention that the book's authors do exhibit a lack of historical or theological depth on one important topic: the Lord's Supper/Communion. They continually describe it in ways that indicate they assume it should be a potluck meal, when in fact Communion was always a distinct component within a broader communal Christian gathering/meal. The moment of Communion is indeed meant to be a more focused time of reflecting/reembodying the sacrifice of Christ; it is not just a community potluck. That was a separate, though related, aspect of the gathering, unlike how Rhodes et. al. present it. One ought to take their depiction of how the church should utilize Communion with this perspective in mind so as not to neglect the spiritual intensity of the sacrament.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of the book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Practicing the King's Economy is a book that explores the Biblical concepts of economy through "keys"from Scripture. Each key is assigned a chapter to explain it (using Scripture) and then a follow up chapter with real world application for self, church, and business.

The keys are worship, community, work, equity, creation care, and rest.

This book took a couple weeks to wade through. I recommend no more than one key a day because reading and processing will keep your mind on the chapter beyond the time you finish reading. The authors are humble in their suggestions knowing that how these keys are applied may look different for everyone. The book is encouraging and convicting. You won't look at life in the western world the same way after finishing it, unless you've already gone through a self-examination of how God intended for us to live as a society. If you have, the examples and creative applications are still worth the read.

The authorship of the book (there are three authors) is not confusing - each chapter/key is written by only one, though the keys and stories intertwine.

I was surprised by the depth of the book and by how truly thought provoking it was. I highly recommend it to church and ministry leaders. I know it will inform my own ministry a great deal in the future.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

yay - but like I said - you can take it or leave it but this book backs it up with Scripture - I liked it. I hope you do too. I received a copy of this book from the Publisher from Netgalley; sll the opinions expressed in this review are all my own.
if you would like to read more of my ChristiPracticing The King's Economy is how CHRIST would want us to practice how to take care of our finances - Biblically - this book gives you the tools to do this. It isn't a fluff piece - it an In depth book. It is not complicated but it isn't basic either. - it is intellectual but fun and backs up all they have to teach you with the Bible and that is the way it should be - friends - my father - a pastor - taught me something from when I was a very you child that was very profound and now I want to teach it to you - you can take it or leave it - but when someone - a friend = a pastor - Bible Study leader - someone - tells you something - you should check to see it lines up with the Scripture - don't always take it as word - we are all human and make mistakes - GOD doesn't and neither does HIS word - it tells you what do - what HE wants for you - or - or HIS will for you or anything - always go to the Scripture because it has the answers for Everything if you don't want to look in the - hard coy - look it up on the internet I received copy of this book from the Publisher and Netgalley; all the opinions expressed in this review are all my own.

reviews go to christianbookreviewers.blogspot.com - I look forward to seeing you there.

[Shaun Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an easy to read and inspirational book, whereby the authors’ love for the poor and marginalised is put forth in a matter of fact manner. Encouraging and challenging accounts of likeminded community work are aplenty and one would inevitably reflect on life - if we have been loving others as God would.

We all interpret Scripture with different lenses. This reviewer does it through an expositionary and biblical theology framework; conversely the authors utilise a proof texting method.

For example, on page 140, after a fairly orthodox commentary on Ruth 1, the authors conclude that “If Boaz doesn’t leave profits in the fields, Ruth remains an outsider...” which ignores the main point of the passage and the book (that Yahweh is our kinsman-redeemer and not that we ought to be a Boaz to a Ruth). They go on to use this problematic theology to state, while noble and applaudable, how “Christians today (should) intentionally (be) creat[ing] work opportunities for the homeless, (so as not to) miss out on the God-given gifts of those marginalised workers who long to bring a plate to the potluck...” It breaks this reviewer’s heart at how Scripture is brutally butchered to fit the proposition of the authors and how it could be the start of a slippery slope to a works-righteousness theology.

I forced myself to read until page 220 when I finally gave up because I was too brokenhearted over how the authors had misused Scripture. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this as a go-to book about stewardship.

I received this book from Baker Publishing Group's Blogger Review Program for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.

[Jon Mays · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read on how to really love out the love of God, self, & others through every aspect of our financial lives. It moves far beyond the tithe, and helps the reader to examine how they conduct their business, their investments, the sabbath, where they shop, why they shop, and more. It pulls back the curtain to show what motivates our economic systems (fear & greed) without condemning the system itself. Systems are amoral, we bring the morality into the equation with how we choose to operate within the system.

Rich with scripture & historical church culture, this book provides a challenging read of self examination & real life examples of what this Kings Economy looks like in the lives of others. Highly recommend!

[Emily Anderle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is from the same publisher as “When Helping Hurts”. While I liked “When Helping Hurts”, I found this book to be way more practical for a middle-class lay person who’s not directly involved in poverty alleviation ministry/missions. They give six keys for practicing Jesus’s Kingdom economy along with some practical steps for each. The keys allow you to take baby steps as well as giant leaps as your faith grows and deepens. They also allow for creativity in the ways disciples express these keys in their own life. I’d highly recommend doing this one with a small group, so you can be accountable to your commitments. There’s 6 keys and 12 chapters so it could be a 6 or 12 week study.

[Nicholas Schenken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. It discussed a lot, so my review can’t really cover much.

Here are some highlights:

1. Our giving shapes our hearts but our giving won’t shape our hearts unless it represents a real investment of our treasure in the kingdom of heaven.

2. God’s economic gifts rot when hoarded, and workaholism gets you nowhere… when God gives He provides enough for everybody.

3. In the old covenant we worked toward rest; in the new covenant we work from rest.

4. If you can’t stop, if stopping feels impossible, that’s an indication that you are worshipping a god rather than the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus Christ.

[Kevin Cullis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally liked nearly everything the authors discuss. I have two issues with their content: God "owns" everything and of the issue of "sacrificing" and the constant term used in Christian content regarding profit is "giving." But that's for more research on my part.

LOVED the discuss around the issue of the Sabbath, I think both Chick-Fil-A and Hobby Lobby point to this very positive issue for any business. Suggest also watching "A Dangerous Business" on Frontline/PBS to see similar results where Christian principles are more profitable.

[Isaac Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Practicing the King's Economy," the authors skillfully intertwine biblical principles with practical applications, offering a refreshing perspective on economics and society. By transcending political and partisan lenses, the book invites readers to engage with these concepts on a biblical level, emphasizing a system created by God that demonstrably works. This insightful exploration encourages individuals to participate in an economy aligned with divine principles, fostering a connection between economic practices and spiritual growth.

[Jennifer Bohnke · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 A worthwhile read for any believer, true to the subtitle (honoring Jesus in how we work, earn, spend, save, and give). I particularly appreciated his “potluck” analogy in the first half and how theological discussion was accompanied by real life execution and practical ideas throughout the book. It challenges our western ideas (mostly) without condemnation and offers a hopeful, and achievable way forward.

[Tabitha Pinckney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much more than I was expecting. Rather than a list of rules about finances it was a rich pattern of living touching all areas of life. In particular I found an enormous amount of wonderful principles for community and broadening that outside our “normal” spaces. There aren’t many book I would recommend to anyone but this comes close. If you care about church, community and caring for those in different spaces this is a must read.

[Tyler Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thick one with lots to ponder about after. I especially loved the inclusion of chapters on how each of their economic keys have played out in the real world as it sparks ideas for how I can do it in my context. I have many pages of notes to reflect on as I try to live more by the King's economy than the economy of America.

[Jonathan Bozarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well-written book. It offers strong, and necessary conviction for any Christian. I disagree with some of the more liberal policy friendly parts of the book, but don’t get me wrong, it is a very good Christian, conservative book. Best parts for me was the Work Key, the Community Key, and the Sabbath Key.

[Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, though I do not think I was in the best place to read it. The authors offer very practical steps to start the process of forming ourselves to be people who practice the economy of the Kingdom of God.

This is a great resource for churches and Christian communities and I hope to return to its wisdom often in the years to come.

[John Pawlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book on kingdom economics, sometimes Scripture doesn’t call us to use money exclusively in ways we find “practical” but rather in a radical refashioning that reflects the coming kingdom! I am an infant in giving and serving and so I found this book incredibly helpful. I recommend this to everyone wanting to know how to contribute meaningfully to God’s kingdom!

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really helpful, creative, and inspiring book. They present readable summaries of key concepts in economic theology, and then provide practical examples of how to implement the principles of each chapter. Although I may have some quibbles here and there, this is an important book if our churches want to make a difference in our neighborhoods, and in our world.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish we could give decimal ratings: would be a 4.4. Tremendous wisdom borne from theological precision and lifetime experience. Especially love that Robby is a main contributor, as he was someone I respected deeply in my seminary days as my Greek tutor :)! A few chapters in particular have my mind whirling in terms of next steps....

[Susan Lindemulder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and thought-provoking. The writers set out their "keys", backing each up from the Word of God, and then give examples of how individuals and groups are practially living those keys in today's world. Very insightful and a good read for every believer.