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The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics
This book examines the jubilee economic ideas taught in the Hebrew Jehovah texts:
1. All slaves should be released every seventh (Jubilee) year.
2. All debts should be forgiven every seventh (Jubilee) year.
3. No person should be required to work more than 6 days a week.
4. Possessions such as land, money, food, houses, should be returned to the larger community during the 7th year.
1. All slaves should be released every seventh (Jubilee) year.
2. All debts should be forgiven every seventh (Jubilee) year.
3. No person should be required to work more than 6 days a week.
4. Possessions such as land, money, food, houses, should be returned to the larger community during the 7th year.
71 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 10, 2024
The author began with the Book of Genesis to trace the theme of Sabbath/Jubilee through the Torah, the synoptic Gospels, and a selection of the Pauline Epistles. Even if the reader doesn't agree with all of the author's interpretation of Scriptures, it is undeniable that Sabbath and Jubilee are key themes throughout the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. This compilation of Myers's work added important considerations to a long tradition of scholars who have argued the significance of Sabbath/Jubilee in Jesus's mission according to the Gospel accounts. The sections on Jesus's various teachings viewed from the perspective of Jesus as a Jubilee figure are very enlightening. In many instances, there are viable alternative interpretations of the historical records, but the author's viewpoints are certainly worthy of careful consideration.
"At its root, Sabbath observance is about gift and limits: the grace of receiving that which the Creator gives, and the responsibility not to take too much, nor to mistake the gift for a possession."
"Jesus’ central struggle with the political leadership was not over theology, but over the meaning of Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6; Luke 13:10-17; John 7:22f; 9:14-16). This 'Human One,' claiming the authority to cancel debts and to restore the Sabbath, is a Jubilee figure indeed!"
"At its root, Sabbath observance is about gift and limits: the grace of receiving that which the Creator gives, and the responsibility not to take too much, nor to mistake the gift for a possession."
"Jesus’ central struggle with the political leadership was not over theology, but over the meaning of Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6; Luke 13:10-17; John 7:22f; 9:14-16). This 'Human One,' claiming the authority to cancel debts and to restore the Sabbath, is a Jubilee figure indeed!"
January 2, 2024
A professor of mine once suggested that I read Ched Myers. Up until today (October 13,2023), I didn't take her up on that offer. What a mistake. Though I don't agree with one of his practical applications (mostly political campaigning at the state and national level, in the conclusion), his interpretation of the scriptures in "The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics" is fantastic while also being *relatively* easy to read (and only $2.99 on Kindle). It's a short 100 page book/"pamphlet" about how God's intended economics is based on two things: that there's a divine gift of abundance of resources on the earth and that we are to limit our intake and "have enough" for that to be realized. He uses the whole of the biblical canon to articulate this: from the Creation account, wilderness experience, the Torah laws, prophetic critiques, to Jesus's ministry and Paul's letters.
One idea that was new to me was the idea that Mark 14:7("You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me") is about the "social location " of the church - the church will always be in the weeds with poor and destitute. So, once Jesus is ascended, do as he does by forgiving sins/debts, calling people to repent and living the gospel of the classless Kingdom!
Chapters 4-6 tackles three/four stories in more detail: the rich man feeling entitled to inheriting eternal life and how he can't be rich if he wants to be a part of the Kingdom of God (Mark 10:17-31), the parable of the talents and how the the third slave is the hero of the story (Matthew 25:14-30, really loved this chapter 5) and the multiplying of the fish and bread and Pentecost as bringing the economic and social implications of the Feast of Weeks.
It's a great quick read (read it throughout the slow work day and literally just finished it). ** It's a must read for people who want to live for Christ in his Kingdom and take the bible seriously. **
One idea that was new to me was the idea that Mark 14:7("You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me") is about the "social location " of the church - the church will always be in the weeds with poor and destitute. So, once Jesus is ascended, do as he does by forgiving sins/debts, calling people to repent and living the gospel of the classless Kingdom!
Chapters 4-6 tackles three/four stories in more detail: the rich man feeling entitled to inheriting eternal life and how he can't be rich if he wants to be a part of the Kingdom of God (Mark 10:17-31), the parable of the talents and how the the third slave is the hero of the story (Matthew 25:14-30, really loved this chapter 5) and the multiplying of the fish and bread and Pentecost as bringing the economic and social implications of the Feast of Weeks.
It's a great quick read (read it throughout the slow work day and literally just finished it). ** It's a must read for people who want to live for Christ in his Kingdom and take the bible seriously. **
November 10, 2009
I thouroughly enjoyed the journey this book led through the scriptures. I know more of Christ now then I did when I started, I am also challenged in many ways, and am left wondering, "what next? How should I then live?"
Myers begins with a quote from theologian John Haughey, "We read the Gospel as if we had no money, and we spend our money as if we know nothing of the Gospel."
Myers interpretations of the parable of the talents is compelling. What was Christ saying, in light of his society's views of the wealthy (who often built wealth through fraud and ruthlessness).
Some questions I still have: What does jubilee economics mean in our culture where we are nickel and dimed. I agree with the idea that we are not meant to store up wealth, but what does that look like in this society? Why does it seem easier to help the poor in another country than in our own hometown?
I could keep going, I have a lot of questions. I would like to read this book with other people, and sit down and discuss it. I would really like to get a hold of "Household practices" because what I understand from Misk, that might evaluate practical steps to Sabbath Economics. It costs 50 some dollars on amazon used. I think there is some irony there.
Myers begins with a quote from theologian John Haughey, "We read the Gospel as if we had no money, and we spend our money as if we know nothing of the Gospel."
Myers interpretations of the parable of the talents is compelling. What was Christ saying, in light of his society's views of the wealthy (who often built wealth through fraud and ruthlessness).
Some questions I still have: What does jubilee economics mean in our culture where we are nickel and dimed. I agree with the idea that we are not meant to store up wealth, but what does that look like in this society? Why does it seem easier to help the poor in another country than in our own hometown?
I could keep going, I have a lot of questions. I would like to read this book with other people, and sit down and discuss it. I would really like to get a hold of "Household practices" because what I understand from Misk, that might evaluate practical steps to Sabbath Economics. It costs 50 some dollars on amazon used. I think there is some irony there.
January 24, 2010
In this small book (70 pages), Myers lays out the Biblical case for Sabbath Economics based on the principles of Jubilee articulated in Leviticus 25. What Myers shows is that a Jubilee perspective pervaded the ministries of both Jesus and Paul, and that terms such as "grace" and "forgiveness" are not only spiritual in meaning, but also have an economic dimension. Myers references several other authors who provide a clear understanding of the socio-economic and political context of the Biblical stories, which show the truly counter-cultural nature of the gospel message. At the very least Myers helps us see that too often we read the Bible through our capitalistic framework when in fact there is not a mindset of competitiveness and economic disparity running thru the Scriptures but one of community and a yearning for equality.
As is often the case with Myers, while I find his case compelling, I also find his interpretation of Scripture clearer than in fact it is. As I often tell classes when I teach the Bible, there is not one Biblical worldview put forth in Scripture, but many worldviews. I am thankful to Myers for helping tease out the Jubilee perspective among the many perspectives that come to us thru Scripture.
As is often the case with Myers, while I find his case compelling, I also find his interpretation of Scripture clearer than in fact it is. As I often tell classes when I teach the Bible, there is not one Biblical worldview put forth in Scripture, but many worldviews. I am thankful to Myers for helping tease out the Jubilee perspective among the many perspectives that come to us thru Scripture.
March 8, 2019
Potentially paradigm-shifting in terms of economics. Several "aha" moments for me.
August 27, 2022
A great refresher on the teachings of the authentic Jesus.
Myers work can be difficult but this thin work is both profound and accessible.
Myers work can be difficult but this thin work is both profound and accessible.
November 17, 2024
Thought-provoking
July 4, 2012
I had high hopes for this, but like many religious views, it resides in the cramped world of ancient tradition: "What did Paul say about such and such?" "Maybe the parable actually meant thus and so!" It's also not a book, but a disjointed pamphlet of short articles, some of them dubiously argued.
Before any commenter condemns me to hell, allow me to point out some of the problems here: inequality is an inevitable result of nature. I will never be the world's greatest jockey or a champion shot-putter. Naturally somebody is going to negotiate better than another, or hunt bison better, and therefore end up with more. Of course some inequality is obtained through injustice. That's real and I raise my voice about it every day; but on with this critique.
Maybe there is a land over the rainbow where everybody shares everything, but then where is the line of justice? Say little Billy Lazyface prefers daydreaming and sleeping instead of work. At what point does he lose claim to the free lunch? Or maybe while you thought he was daydreaming he was actually discovering a form of renewable energy. How is intellectual labor valued against physical?
Even if you somehow devise a system of communal bliss, at some point decisions must be made as to risk and resources. Example: a man and a woman marry and share their wealth. They are equals. Now suppose they have a surplus (stay with me, I know they wouldn't have their own surplus in Utopia because it belongs to the collective, but they represent the group in this example). So with the surplus the man wants a new horse and the woman wants a new bonnet. What's the mechanism of decision in disagreement? Either way somebody now has something that somebody else doesn't have.
And even with hierarchy--we're imagining a divine kingdom after all--can there ever be a rule for those decisions among billions of people when it's hard enough between two? Who decides that building a new rec center is preferable to a hospital? Only through belief in the divine authority of a society's leaders (or through murderous coercion) has it ever been done, but it has never lasted. Somebody ends up with egg on their face when people think a bit more.
Democracy solves the problem by letting us make mistakes. It makes no claim to authority beyond what citizens give it, but that comes with its own issues, one of which is letting some people win and others lose. Is it possible to have a system of human beings so intelligent, so unified, that everyone agrees on a definition of The Good Life? I'm not trying to argue against objective truth, but you can begin to see why the USSR came tumbling down.
The problem is that science is real; knowledge obtained by rational thought exists. IT HAS ITS OWN AUTHORITY, and it requires a skepticism that undermines other authority. It's the reason you are reading this on an electronic device and not dressed in sheepskin and harvesting rice all day. That doesn't preclude a different attitude toward debt and consumption, but this book does little to illuminate or solve the challenges of this world.
Those who run the race win the prize, reaping what they sow, as the Good Book says. Religion helps us deal with the tragedy that life isn't fair, the tragedy that we can miss the starting gun if no one told us when to run (hat tip, Pink Floyd). Perhaps someday all the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Let us pray it be so.
Before any commenter condemns me to hell, allow me to point out some of the problems here: inequality is an inevitable result of nature. I will never be the world's greatest jockey or a champion shot-putter. Naturally somebody is going to negotiate better than another, or hunt bison better, and therefore end up with more. Of course some inequality is obtained through injustice. That's real and I raise my voice about it every day; but on with this critique.
Maybe there is a land over the rainbow where everybody shares everything, but then where is the line of justice? Say little Billy Lazyface prefers daydreaming and sleeping instead of work. At what point does he lose claim to the free lunch? Or maybe while you thought he was daydreaming he was actually discovering a form of renewable energy. How is intellectual labor valued against physical?
Even if you somehow devise a system of communal bliss, at some point decisions must be made as to risk and resources. Example: a man and a woman marry and share their wealth. They are equals. Now suppose they have a surplus (stay with me, I know they wouldn't have their own surplus in Utopia because it belongs to the collective, but they represent the group in this example). So with the surplus the man wants a new horse and the woman wants a new bonnet. What's the mechanism of decision in disagreement? Either way somebody now has something that somebody else doesn't have.
And even with hierarchy--we're imagining a divine kingdom after all--can there ever be a rule for those decisions among billions of people when it's hard enough between two? Who decides that building a new rec center is preferable to a hospital? Only through belief in the divine authority of a society's leaders (or through murderous coercion) has it ever been done, but it has never lasted. Somebody ends up with egg on their face when people think a bit more.
Democracy solves the problem by letting us make mistakes. It makes no claim to authority beyond what citizens give it, but that comes with its own issues, one of which is letting some people win and others lose. Is it possible to have a system of human beings so intelligent, so unified, that everyone agrees on a definition of The Good Life? I'm not trying to argue against objective truth, but you can begin to see why the USSR came tumbling down.
The problem is that science is real; knowledge obtained by rational thought exists. IT HAS ITS OWN AUTHORITY, and it requires a skepticism that undermines other authority. It's the reason you are reading this on an electronic device and not dressed in sheepskin and harvesting rice all day. That doesn't preclude a different attitude toward debt and consumption, but this book does little to illuminate or solve the challenges of this world.
Those who run the race win the prize, reaping what they sow, as the Good Book says. Religion helps us deal with the tragedy that life isn't fair, the tragedy that we can miss the starting gun if no one told us when to run (hat tip, Pink Floyd). Perhaps someday all the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Let us pray it be so.
February 19, 2009
READ MORE AT:
http://www.tear.org.au/education/revi...
RELATED VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opmr0l...
“We read the gospel as if we had no money, and spend our money as if we know nothing of the gospel.”
With this quote from theologian John Haughey, Ched Myers begins a journey through the scriptures to discover an alternative economics. An alternative to a system that leaves 800 million people hungry while urging us to consume endlessly, accumulate desperately and borrow recklessly.
The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics is a short book and an easy read. Beginning in Exodus, majoring in the Gospels and ending with the apostle Paul, Myers finds an abundance of biblical material on economics. It all points to an alternative based on God's abundant provision and a just distribution of his gifts among all people.
For Myers, “economics is ultimately a theological issue” and at the heart of “what it means for us to follow Jesus.”
This is a great book that all rich (read Australian) Christians should read. As Myers says, “We Christians must talk about economics, and talk about it in the light of the gospel.”
Having read Myers' book, the question becomes: How then do we live? That question is the subject of a companion book by Myers' colleague Matthew Colwell, called Sabbath Economics: Household Practices (Tell The Word, 2007).
The book covers seven areas of our lives where we can make practical changes. It is not about a new legalism or inducing guilt. Rather, it is an encouragement for us to consider where we are and how we can take small steps in the direction of a more authentic life of discipleship. With discussion questions at the end of each chapter, it is ideal for group study.
http://www.tear.org.au/education/revi...
RELATED VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opmr0l...
“We read the gospel as if we had no money, and spend our money as if we know nothing of the gospel.”
With this quote from theologian John Haughey, Ched Myers begins a journey through the scriptures to discover an alternative economics. An alternative to a system that leaves 800 million people hungry while urging us to consume endlessly, accumulate desperately and borrow recklessly.
The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics is a short book and an easy read. Beginning in Exodus, majoring in the Gospels and ending with the apostle Paul, Myers finds an abundance of biblical material on economics. It all points to an alternative based on God's abundant provision and a just distribution of his gifts among all people.
For Myers, “economics is ultimately a theological issue” and at the heart of “what it means for us to follow Jesus.”
This is a great book that all rich (read Australian) Christians should read. As Myers says, “We Christians must talk about economics, and talk about it in the light of the gospel.”
Having read Myers' book, the question becomes: How then do we live? That question is the subject of a companion book by Myers' colleague Matthew Colwell, called Sabbath Economics: Household Practices (Tell The Word, 2007).
The book covers seven areas of our lives where we can make practical changes. It is not about a new legalism or inducing guilt. Rather, it is an encouragement for us to consider where we are and how we can take small steps in the direction of a more authentic life of discipleship. With discussion questions at the end of each chapter, it is ideal for group study.
Read
June 11, 2008What I learned from this book is that God has laid out a nonviolent economy, that if followed would allow for human innovation & material success but would also never allow for humans to live in poverty, debt or slavery for very long.
August 11, 2009
A set of essays on economics in God’s kingdom, reflecting particularly on what regular debt forgiveness and repatriation of land would mean in today’s society. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s an excellent introduction for those interested in the topic.
October 30, 2010
this is a great overview of ched myers' vision of biblical sabbath economics. i'm not sure how well it would work as a group discussion for folks who were not already on board with his ideas, but for those who are, it is awesome.
May 12, 2008
if this book was even partially attempted to be lived out--the whole world would change.
April 1, 2017
Some really interesting things to think about and some new thoughts on parables that we think we know. Definitely recommend this if you can get your hands on it.
July 22, 2009
Food for thought.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews