The Good of Affluence:
Seeking God in a Culture of Wealth
John R. Schneider
Eerdmans, 243 pages, $24
The problem of "God and mammon" is as old as Christianity itself, observes Schneider, a professor of religion and theology at Calvin College. He presents a theological interpretation of Scripture on the place of material affluence—in other words, is it okay to be a rich Christian?
In Schneider's view, "being affluent in a certain way—I call it 'delight'—indeed reflects the good created order of God." His primary aim, he writes, is to give intellectual leadership to those wealthy Christians who are "moved by their good fortune" yet deeply troubled by it at the same time.
The first half of the book probes Old Testament examples of wealth and need, while the second half focuses on illustrations from Jesus' ministry and the New Testament. Schneider also tackles the role of affluence in light of global poverty and environmental concerns. Integrated into the text is an often biting critique of Ron Sider, mainly in the context of Sider's book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger. Schneider's well-developed arguments will doubtless irritate and stimulate readers on both sides of the debate.
Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere
The Good of Affluence: Seeking God in a Culture of Modern Capitalism is available at Christianbook.com.
On the site of the Acton Institute of Religion and Liberty, Schneider wrote an article about why he wrote the book and explained its thesis.
Ron Sider's Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger is available at Christianbook.com.
Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Our digital archives are a work in progress. Let us know if corrections need to be made.
Annual & Monthly subscriptions available.
- Print & Digital Issues of CT magazine
- Complete access to every article on ChristianityToday.com
- Unlimited access to 65+ years of CT’s online archives
- Member-only special issues
- Learn more
More from this Issue
Read These Next
- From the MagazineIs Sexuality a Matter of First Importance?The apostle Paul’s discussion of same-sex sexuality in 1 Corinthians 6 is a clear, compassionate, and proportionate model for church leaders.Português
- Editor's PickN.T. Wright: What Jesus Would Say to the ‘Empire’ TodayHow Jesus and the Powers, cowritten with Michael F. Bird, calls Christians into the political sphere.