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God's Economy: Redefining the Health and Wealth Gospel
Are you dissatisfied with the gospel of health and wealth?Health and wealth proponents urge Christians to claim material blessings on earth. Others insist that God’s best gifts can’t be enjoyed until heaven. The truth of God’s intentions, writes acclaimed author Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, is far greater than either perspective suggests.Packed with inspiring stories, God’s Economy invites you to step into the good life God intends you to enjoy here and now―not a shrink-wrapped, plastic version of prosperity but a liberating approach to living that leads to genuine and lasting satisfaction.With persuasive enthusiasm, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove draws from Jesus’ teachings on money, exploring five tactics for living in God’s economy of abundance. Then, he demonstrates how people have practiced these tactics in the past, as well as what these principles can do for you, your family, and your church today. From your human relationships to your spiritual life, this practical guide cuts through the clutter and invites you to discover what can happen when you invest in God’s Economy.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 11, 2021
Wow! I love how the life experiences and testaments have scripture to support the event/act, or perspective. Really is great to read a non-theological approach to economic living both financially and relationally.
November 28, 2009
Some highlights from the book.
chris Lahr
God’s Economy: Redefining the Health and Wealth Gospel
by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
Money is a force and demands our attention/ desires/ allegiance.
Maybe the real problem is not that we have too much or not enough, but that we do not see money for what it really is. Our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but against the principality and powers>> therefore we should not demonize the rich or dehumanize the poor. We must unmask the powers.
“God’s economy is not a new system to be established in the world. It is, instead, the fundamental truth of the universe. It is the miracle that keeps us all alive, despite our rebellion against God and selfishness in relating to one another. God’s abundant life is not success as the world defines it. It doesn’t mean God wants you to live in a mansion on the hill. Such extravagance is far less than what God desires for every person—a restored relationship with our Father and the family that gathers around his welcome table. The abundant life Jesus offers is freedom from the poverty that says some people are worthless and freedom from the wealth that tempts others to forget God” (p 50-51).
World’s economic assumption: resources are limited, and there is only so much food, time and money to go around. The table of the Lord defies this logic and assumes plenty, not scarcity. In God’s economy He is in charge and He provides enough resources for all (see Dt 15).
The author suggests tactics of Jesus for having a god life now…
Tactic #1: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mk 9:35)
In an economy of scarcity we get used thinking in terms of competition. In the world economy people walk over others in order to be on top>> folks also hoard resources and power. God’s economy calls us to servanthood.
“Jesus didn’t aspire to fix the system or to overthrow it. He submitted himself to people in simple service in order to show us a better way” (p.84).
Tactic #2: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Mt. 6:20)
God’s economy is an economy of providence>> God gives you what you need when you need it.
“The greatest obstacle to faith in our time may well be that most of us are too invested in securing our own futures to trust Jesus for the good life he wants to give us now” (p.108).
“To trust God in this way (in His economy), though, is to entrust ourselves to the new family that God is drawing together here on earth. Our eternal investments draw us into new relationships and open our eyes to the possibility of economic friendship” (p.134).
Tactic #3: I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourself. (Luke 16:9)
Luke 16>> story of the shrewd manager (loved the authors interpretation of this)
“In our rush to solve problems that are indeed urgent, we often overlook the wisdom of the weak, assuming that the losers in this world’s system don’t have much to offer. But Jesus insists the opposite is true: f we pay attention to the weak, we can learn the tactics of everyday resistance that are ultimately effective. If we’re willing to slow down and listen, the poor can often lead us into God’s economy” (p.145).
“Economic friendship isn’t about buying someone we want to know better a Frappuccino—we do that on our own, because we want to. When Jesus said we should use money to make friends, he meant that we can invest what we have in interdependent, people-based economies. When we do, a new kind of community begins to emerge. Joined together in common efforts, we become God’s gathered family in our neighborhoods and in the world” (p.149).
“The idolatry of wealth doesn’t only compromise our relationship with God; it destroys community and makes abundant life impossible. But if we’re ‘generous and willing to share,’ we disarm the power of money and set it free to build the beloved community that God wants everyone to enjoy” (p.151).
“Economic friendship is about subverting the power of money by sharing our wealth as Jesus shares his very life. If it’s good for nothing else, money is good for this: it gives us a chance to show the world what grace looks like by sharing it freely in the economy of Christ’s abundance” (p.155).
Tactic #4: Give to the one who asks you. (Mt 5:42)
The economy of God calls for beloved community. The church needs the poor as much as the poor need the church. Sharing with the poor we receive the gift of friendship.
-A good discussion about beggars.
“To give in secret is not to give ‘privately,’ building up your egos through the false humility of anonymous gifts. How could our generosity be relationsl if we never come face-to-face with people who are in need? To give in secret is, instead, to give without concern for our image or for results. It is to give like our Father, who ‘sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous’ (My 5:45)” (p.180).
Relational generosity challenges our notion of good stewardship.
- A good discussion on not letting the left hand know what the right hand is giving. Its not so much about the “secret of the gift” as it is being an “uncalculated gift.
Tactic #5: Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. (Mk 12:17)
“Money ties us to a whole system of powers, and our money uses us as much as we use it. Caesar will get what’s due him, you can be sure—but the problem is that Caesar is never satisfied. He asks for more and more until he demands our very lives” (p.195).
chris Lahr
God’s Economy: Redefining the Health and Wealth Gospel
by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
Money is a force and demands our attention/ desires/ allegiance.
Maybe the real problem is not that we have too much or not enough, but that we do not see money for what it really is. Our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but against the principality and powers>> therefore we should not demonize the rich or dehumanize the poor. We must unmask the powers.
“God’s economy is not a new system to be established in the world. It is, instead, the fundamental truth of the universe. It is the miracle that keeps us all alive, despite our rebellion against God and selfishness in relating to one another. God’s abundant life is not success as the world defines it. It doesn’t mean God wants you to live in a mansion on the hill. Such extravagance is far less than what God desires for every person—a restored relationship with our Father and the family that gathers around his welcome table. The abundant life Jesus offers is freedom from the poverty that says some people are worthless and freedom from the wealth that tempts others to forget God” (p 50-51).
World’s economic assumption: resources are limited, and there is only so much food, time and money to go around. The table of the Lord defies this logic and assumes plenty, not scarcity. In God’s economy He is in charge and He provides enough resources for all (see Dt 15).
The author suggests tactics of Jesus for having a god life now…
Tactic #1: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mk 9:35)
In an economy of scarcity we get used thinking in terms of competition. In the world economy people walk over others in order to be on top>> folks also hoard resources and power. God’s economy calls us to servanthood.
“Jesus didn’t aspire to fix the system or to overthrow it. He submitted himself to people in simple service in order to show us a better way” (p.84).
Tactic #2: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Mt. 6:20)
God’s economy is an economy of providence>> God gives you what you need when you need it.
“The greatest obstacle to faith in our time may well be that most of us are too invested in securing our own futures to trust Jesus for the good life he wants to give us now” (p.108).
“To trust God in this way (in His economy), though, is to entrust ourselves to the new family that God is drawing together here on earth. Our eternal investments draw us into new relationships and open our eyes to the possibility of economic friendship” (p.134).
Tactic #3: I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourself. (Luke 16:9)
Luke 16>> story of the shrewd manager (loved the authors interpretation of this)
“In our rush to solve problems that are indeed urgent, we often overlook the wisdom of the weak, assuming that the losers in this world’s system don’t have much to offer. But Jesus insists the opposite is true: f we pay attention to the weak, we can learn the tactics of everyday resistance that are ultimately effective. If we’re willing to slow down and listen, the poor can often lead us into God’s economy” (p.145).
“Economic friendship isn’t about buying someone we want to know better a Frappuccino—we do that on our own, because we want to. When Jesus said we should use money to make friends, he meant that we can invest what we have in interdependent, people-based economies. When we do, a new kind of community begins to emerge. Joined together in common efforts, we become God’s gathered family in our neighborhoods and in the world” (p.149).
“The idolatry of wealth doesn’t only compromise our relationship with God; it destroys community and makes abundant life impossible. But if we’re ‘generous and willing to share,’ we disarm the power of money and set it free to build the beloved community that God wants everyone to enjoy” (p.151).
“Economic friendship is about subverting the power of money by sharing our wealth as Jesus shares his very life. If it’s good for nothing else, money is good for this: it gives us a chance to show the world what grace looks like by sharing it freely in the economy of Christ’s abundance” (p.155).
Tactic #4: Give to the one who asks you. (Mt 5:42)
The economy of God calls for beloved community. The church needs the poor as much as the poor need the church. Sharing with the poor we receive the gift of friendship.
-A good discussion about beggars.
“To give in secret is not to give ‘privately,’ building up your egos through the false humility of anonymous gifts. How could our generosity be relationsl if we never come face-to-face with people who are in need? To give in secret is, instead, to give without concern for our image or for results. It is to give like our Father, who ‘sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous’ (My 5:45)” (p.180).
Relational generosity challenges our notion of good stewardship.
- A good discussion on not letting the left hand know what the right hand is giving. Its not so much about the “secret of the gift” as it is being an “uncalculated gift.
Tactic #5: Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. (Mk 12:17)
“Money ties us to a whole system of powers, and our money uses us as much as we use it. Caesar will get what’s due him, you can be sure—but the problem is that Caesar is never satisfied. He asks for more and more until he demands our very lives” (p.195).
July 21, 2020
"What could it possibly mean to base our lives and relationship to money on the assumption of abundance?"
"All of your familiar options, Jesus says, are dead ends. They won't get you to God's kingdom because none of them is radical enough."
God's Economy is a gentle sledgehammer of a book, remarkable truths that burst into your life (potentially altering it forever) as the thoughtful words of a gracious host around the family table. Its words are easy to read, its tone does not attack those who think differently. Instead it invites reflection and participation in the radical community formed in God's economy. The author challenges both the rich and the poor and he does not hammer politics or rail upon capitalism as a system. Instead he offers a considered vision of the nature of the household of God (literally God's economy) and how living in its abundance might mean a different life for us today.
"The radical abundance Jesus invites us into is the economy of a shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. It is the interruption of every economic system, because it refuses the law of scarcity and insists that the impossible can happen. God's people can survive for forty years on bread that falls out of the sky. Five thousand people can eat their fill and still have leftovers from a meal of two fish and five loaves of bread. God's economy is not a new system to be established
in the world. It is, instead, the fundamental truth of the universe. It is the miracle that keeps us all alive, despite our rebellion against God and selfishness in relating to one another.
God's abundant life is not success as the world defines it. It doesn't mean God wants you to live in a mansion on the hill. Such extravagance is far less than what God desires for every person - a restored relationship with our Father and the family that gathers around his welcome table. The abundant life Jesus offers is freedom from the poverty that says some people are worthless and freedom from the wealth that tempts others to forget God.
Beneath the illusions of the power called money, this is our deepest hunger: to know we are loved unconditionally and to know our neighbors in light of that love.
Only God can save us from the power of money; the good news is that God already has. If we will believe, a whole new way of living is possible in God's beloved community. If we will but trust Jesus, we can become real."
The author takes Scripture's comments on money seriously, opening passages up simply, and thereby challenging churchy complacency with the word and life of Jesus (including a wonderfully true reading of the shrewd manager in Luke 16).
"Besides, if we signed up for fairness, we chose the wrong religion. Economic friendship is about subverting the power of money by sharing our wealth as Jesus shares his very life. If it's good for nothing else, money is good for this; it gives us a chance to show the world what grace looks like by sharing it freely in the economy of Christ's abundance."
Highly recommended - only Ellul's Money and Power strikes harder on the topic. Wilson-Hartgrove does it with a gloved and gentle hand.
"All of your familiar options, Jesus says, are dead ends. They won't get you to God's kingdom because none of them is radical enough."
God's Economy is a gentle sledgehammer of a book, remarkable truths that burst into your life (potentially altering it forever) as the thoughtful words of a gracious host around the family table. Its words are easy to read, its tone does not attack those who think differently. Instead it invites reflection and participation in the radical community formed in God's economy. The author challenges both the rich and the poor and he does not hammer politics or rail upon capitalism as a system. Instead he offers a considered vision of the nature of the household of God (literally God's economy) and how living in its abundance might mean a different life for us today.
"The radical abundance Jesus invites us into is the economy of a shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. It is the interruption of every economic system, because it refuses the law of scarcity and insists that the impossible can happen. God's people can survive for forty years on bread that falls out of the sky. Five thousand people can eat their fill and still have leftovers from a meal of two fish and five loaves of bread. God's economy is not a new system to be established
in the world. It is, instead, the fundamental truth of the universe. It is the miracle that keeps us all alive, despite our rebellion against God and selfishness in relating to one another.
God's abundant life is not success as the world defines it. It doesn't mean God wants you to live in a mansion on the hill. Such extravagance is far less than what God desires for every person - a restored relationship with our Father and the family that gathers around his welcome table. The abundant life Jesus offers is freedom from the poverty that says some people are worthless and freedom from the wealth that tempts others to forget God.
Beneath the illusions of the power called money, this is our deepest hunger: to know we are loved unconditionally and to know our neighbors in light of that love.
Only God can save us from the power of money; the good news is that God already has. If we will believe, a whole new way of living is possible in God's beloved community. If we will but trust Jesus, we can become real."
The author takes Scripture's comments on money seriously, opening passages up simply, and thereby challenging churchy complacency with the word and life of Jesus (including a wonderfully true reading of the shrewd manager in Luke 16).
"Besides, if we signed up for fairness, we chose the wrong religion. Economic friendship is about subverting the power of money by sharing our wealth as Jesus shares his very life. If it's good for nothing else, money is good for this; it gives us a chance to show the world what grace looks like by sharing it freely in the economy of Christ's abundance."
Highly recommended - only Ellul's Money and Power strikes harder on the topic. Wilson-Hartgrove does it with a gloved and gentle hand.
May 29, 2020
Much like The Wisdom of Stability, this book is coherent offering practical and deeply founded truths in Biblical scriptures. The thing about Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is that what he brings to the surface for the reader is not only simple head knowledge, but rather truths that cannot settle in and remain dormant in one's mind because they will find their way out and require response in action.
This book challenges and rethinks some typical approaches to institutional church economics and fiscal practices, which in effect, are what Christians today believe and practice. If the reader does not have experience or prior knowledge in the United States evangelical church, or a heavily influenced international church founded by the former, they may have trouble grasping the whole of this book.
Wilson-Hartgrove provides 4 pithy tactics founded on teachings of Jesus; eternal investment, subversive service, a friendship economy, and gracious politics. Despite a few distracting moments where the author opts to use a comment or observation of the institutional church to help adorn a truth or section that tends to be reactionary at best; the author does succeed in balancing his prosaic essay format by inserting anecdotes characterized by his Southern storytelling tone. This ebb & flow between these two styles throughout the whole book makes for a dynamic read.
Indeed, this will be a book I come back to in the future and will recommend for those overwhelmed with the pressures, controls, and domination money takes on us and society and how using Jesus' third way and living in his example we can subversively brush aside money's manipulation and, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's."
This book challenges and rethinks some typical approaches to institutional church economics and fiscal practices, which in effect, are what Christians today believe and practice. If the reader does not have experience or prior knowledge in the United States evangelical church, or a heavily influenced international church founded by the former, they may have trouble grasping the whole of this book.
Wilson-Hartgrove provides 4 pithy tactics founded on teachings of Jesus; eternal investment, subversive service, a friendship economy, and gracious politics. Despite a few distracting moments where the author opts to use a comment or observation of the institutional church to help adorn a truth or section that tends to be reactionary at best; the author does succeed in balancing his prosaic essay format by inserting anecdotes characterized by his Southern storytelling tone. This ebb & flow between these two styles throughout the whole book makes for a dynamic read.
Indeed, this will be a book I come back to in the future and will recommend for those overwhelmed with the pressures, controls, and domination money takes on us and society and how using Jesus' third way and living in his example we can subversively brush aside money's manipulation and, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's."
March 10, 2010
A great, insightful, human, humble book that lays out the way of the cross and money. Full of practical observations and fresh angles. Here are some tidbits:
"The church needs the poor as much as the poor need the church. Jesus didn't embrace the poor only because he pitied them or because he knew he had the resources to help them. Jesus embraced the poor because they were rushing into the kingdom ahead of the scribes and Pharisees -- those who called themselves God's people. Jesus welcomed people who knew poverty because they were ready to receive what he had to offer. Religious people, he said, could learn something from them." (164)
"Homeless shelters don't end homelessness because they never question the assumptions and lifestyles of those of us who aren't homeless. They can't afford to -- our donations keep them in business." (174)
"God doesn't ask us to change people -- God asks us to love people." (175)
"One thing I've learned living among people who've survived poverty is that they're not very impressed by charity. They'll accept it, sure -- but they're not impressed. Social clubs give awards to philanthropists. Newspapers honor benevolence. But the poor suspect that most giving from the well-to-do is little more than guilt therapy and image management. St. Vincent de Paul, who gave his life in service to the poor, said, 'It is only for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you give them.'" (178)
"The church needs the poor as much as the poor need the church. Jesus didn't embrace the poor only because he pitied them or because he knew he had the resources to help them. Jesus embraced the poor because they were rushing into the kingdom ahead of the scribes and Pharisees -- those who called themselves God's people. Jesus welcomed people who knew poverty because they were ready to receive what he had to offer. Religious people, he said, could learn something from them." (164)
"Homeless shelters don't end homelessness because they never question the assumptions and lifestyles of those of us who aren't homeless. They can't afford to -- our donations keep them in business." (174)
"God doesn't ask us to change people -- God asks us to love people." (175)
"One thing I've learned living among people who've survived poverty is that they're not very impressed by charity. They'll accept it, sure -- but they're not impressed. Social clubs give awards to philanthropists. Newspapers honor benevolence. But the poor suspect that most giving from the well-to-do is little more than guilt therapy and image management. St. Vincent de Paul, who gave his life in service to the poor, said, 'It is only for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you give them.'" (178)
November 6, 2015
A solid, humble, realistic book. This is the sort of book one should read every year or so, to help fend off the temptation to trust wealth instead of God, the temptation to depend on the bank instead of Christian community. The gospel changes EVERYthing, and turns economics on its head, and sometimes we're tempted to forget that and live like the world.
From page 13: "This is a book for people who have a hunch that life is about more than possessions. [...] If you're not quite satisfied with the prosperity gospel and TV's ideal of success, this is a book for you. It's a celebration of God's economy, where the poor find bread and the rich find healing because we rediscover one another as friends and we are not alone anymore."
Here are the five "tactics" in the book, detailed in chapters 3-8:
Tactic #1: If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all. Mark 9:35
Subversive Service: How God's Economy Slips In
Tactic #2: Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Matthew 6:20
Eternal Investments: How God's Children Plan Ahead
Tactic #3: I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves. Luke 16:9
Economic Friendship: How Real Security Happens
Tactic #4: Give to the one who asks you. Matthew 5:42
Relational Generosity: How We Share Good News
Tactic #5: Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Mark 12:17
Gracious Politics: How to Live Under Occupation
From page 13: "This is a book for people who have a hunch that life is about more than possessions. [...] If you're not quite satisfied with the prosperity gospel and TV's ideal of success, this is a book for you. It's a celebration of God's economy, where the poor find bread and the rich find healing because we rediscover one another as friends and we are not alone anymore."
Here are the five "tactics" in the book, detailed in chapters 3-8:
Tactic #1: If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all. Mark 9:35
Subversive Service: How God's Economy Slips In
Tactic #2: Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Matthew 6:20
Eternal Investments: How God's Children Plan Ahead
Tactic #3: I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves. Luke 16:9
Economic Friendship: How Real Security Happens
Tactic #4: Give to the one who asks you. Matthew 5:42
Relational Generosity: How We Share Good News
Tactic #5: Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Mark 12:17
Gracious Politics: How to Live Under Occupation
May 26, 2011
Short review: Many times I read Christian books on economics and it is either good on economics or theology, rarely is it good on both. Wilson-Hartgrove is trying to redefine our understanding of economics so he does not really care whether he is good on economics or not. This is a book told from someone that is living what he is suggesting. He takes Jesus (and economcis) seriously. Very good book.
Full review on my blog at http://bookwi.se/gods-economy-wilson-...
Full review on my blog at http://bookwi.se/gods-economy-wilson-...
December 10, 2009
Perhaps the prosperity that God has in mind for us is far better than anything we could ever buy or earn? This book made me uncomfortable quite a bit while reading it, not because I didn't agree with the message, but because I knew what he was saying was right on.
January 23, 2018
A short and heartfelt book explaining the author's views on how Jesus really meant for us to spend and use money. Provides insight into compassion, even for those we don't like; a sharing economy, and communal living.
The book is full of anecdotes and discussions of scripture. It presents some challenging ideas but they are not always developed well. The book as a whole does not make a compelling argument, partly because the writing seems disjointed and partly because it does not focus in on a single set of actions. I also don't think it adequately addresses the difference between multimillionaire ministers who preach that prosperity will come to those who give their last dollar to them and those who choose to live a simple life and share their resources with others who have less.
The book is full of anecdotes and discussions of scripture. It presents some challenging ideas but they are not always developed well. The book as a whole does not make a compelling argument, partly because the writing seems disjointed and partly because it does not focus in on a single set of actions. I also don't think it adequately addresses the difference between multimillionaire ministers who preach that prosperity will come to those who give their last dollar to them and those who choose to live a simple life and share their resources with others who have less.
June 7, 2017
God's Economy definitely makes you rethink your relationship with money. It applies what Jesus said about money throughout Scriptures to our lives. The four main points: 1. Serve all, 2. use your finances to invest in eternity rather than retirement by 3. using $ to pay for needs within the community, and 4. giving your $ to those who ask (beggars, etc.). The author focuses on living in community and inviting those who are marginalized into that community. I would recommend it to any Christian dissatisfied with the pursuit of the American dream. The author lives in a sort of commune, but I would argue that these principles could be applied to those who don't desire to share residence with other families.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2019
i read this back to back with Daniel M Bell Jr’s The Economy of Desire. there were some similar echoes and references, but this book was more simplistic / digestible whereas Bell’s went deeper into theology and philosophy, reading more like an academic work.
this book had some good main points but there are others i’d have to think on more (i.e. is choosing not to purchase health insurance really a faithful act?). i’m interested to read more by this author or others on new monasticism though.
was recommended by a fellow churchgoer who works in the personal finance space.
this book had some good main points but there are others i’d have to think on more (i.e. is choosing not to purchase health insurance really a faithful act?). i’m interested to read more by this author or others on new monasticism though.
was recommended by a fellow churchgoer who works in the personal finance space.
June 22, 2017
This book had an interesting perspective and some very good points, but I was a bit disappointed in the writing style. It wasn't awful, but the book was written in a way that was difficult for me to follow.
September 13, 2019
Lots to chew on, but as someone who is unfamiliar with to this new monasticism, I am willing to do more than I know what to do. He acknowledges the problem of a lot of churches not currently living in this way, so I’m left wondering, what steps can I take, small and practical, to get started.
January 17, 2024
This was a great read about ways people have been radically generous and peace-seeking. It would have landed a 5 if I left with more practicals of how to live this way. The book could have been a three if I hadn’t finished it with a heart considering how to give more away.
April 21, 2023
I enjoyed this book. Jonathan has some really challenging exhortations in here. I could see how a book like this could make certain Christians really upset, which maybe is his point. This one though, challenged not upset.
But I think he's onto something key. Living like we're in Jerusalem when we're in Babylon can be a problem!
But I think he's onto something key. Living like we're in Jerusalem when we're in Babylon can be a problem!
December 13, 2012
Good premise. I appreciate the re-evaluation of the Christian community's concept and use of money in middle class American.
Poor execution. The book developed awkwardly and did a poor job of laying the foundation necessary to support the author's passionate and sometimes judgmental statements. Our small group had interesting and valuable discussions surrounding this book, but I would not recommend this to others.
Poor execution. The book developed awkwardly and did a poor job of laying the foundation necessary to support the author's passionate and sometimes judgmental statements. Our small group had interesting and valuable discussions surrounding this book, but I would not recommend this to others.
July 21, 2016
As with any book by Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove, this was a masterful balance between stories of real life ministry and excellent Biblical exegesis. I appreciated the stories he shared about the people he has come across in his ministry as well as putting some of Jesus's sayings about money in their historical context. This would be a great book for church groups to read if want to study what Jesus said about money.
January 30, 2015
Wilson-Hartgrove is always personally challenging. This book exhorts us to trust God in the area of finances, and open our hands and share life, friendship and our wealth with the vulnerable. Wilson-Hartgrove is one of the key voices of the New Monasticism and this isn't a book for people who want to follow Jesus without changing their life.
January 28, 2012
I expected more of a social justice theory book, but I enjoyed his divergence from similar writings. His thoughts on restructuring our paradigm of this world's economy are challenging but not impractical.
January 23, 2010
Got the idea in the first chapter or two, and then nothing added. But a revolutionary way yo view God, the world's system, etc.
July 17, 2014
God DOES want you to be wealthy...you just have to understand what true wealth is.
April 15, 2013
For the most part I enjoyed this book, but towards the end I felt it didn't quite wrap up in a way that we could use in our day to day lives.
May 17, 2014
A realistic stewardship book that puts modern flesh through stories on Jesus's teachings
July 8, 2013
Read this book a few weeks ago and enjoyed it so much I'm in the process of an immediate re-read.
March 22, 2017
I've heard it said that in church, we are quite okay trying to figure out what Jesus says about sex and marriage from the few times he speaks of these things, but we are quite okay ignoring the many more times he speaks about money. Jesus saying that we cannot serve both God and money seems to be a far greater litmus test about one's faith that who can marry whom, so I think we should probably spend more time working through the relationship between our faith and our money than many of the other things we spend our time talking about.
Hence why I read this book.
And it kind of kicked my butt (which I'm okay with).
I love Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove's writings, and in this book he again weaves real life stories together with great theology as he tries to point the reader in how to faithfully view and use one's wealth.
Giving us some solid handles about how it can help us serve, how it affects relationships (and more importantly, how relationships affect our wealth), how we can invest in the future of others, and the complicated interplay between faith and wealth and taxes and government, I'm quite grateful for the read.
I'm learning to enjoy living in the tension of my wealth and my faith, as I trust that the tension isn't just guilt, but rather is God inviting me to reconsider how I trust God for my security and how I approach my finances. For as the author says, "Bread has to be broken in order to be shared," and maybe "if we break what we have and share it, we can start living heaven's banquet now."
Hence why I read this book.
And it kind of kicked my butt (which I'm okay with).
I love Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove's writings, and in this book he again weaves real life stories together with great theology as he tries to point the reader in how to faithfully view and use one's wealth.
Giving us some solid handles about how it can help us serve, how it affects relationships (and more importantly, how relationships affect our wealth), how we can invest in the future of others, and the complicated interplay between faith and wealth and taxes and government, I'm quite grateful for the read.
I'm learning to enjoy living in the tension of my wealth and my faith, as I trust that the tension isn't just guilt, but rather is God inviting me to reconsider how I trust God for my security and how I approach my finances. For as the author says, "Bread has to be broken in order to be shared," and maybe "if we break what we have and share it, we can start living heaven's banquet now."
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