Faith & Work

The "prosperity gospel" has spread across the globe and infiltrates homes daily, even through primetime television. Among the core claims of these teachers is that God wants his people to be healthy and wealthy, and if a person is not rich and well, it is because that person lacks faith. This distortion of the Bible's teaching needs to be answered faithfully and winsomely, and the chapters of this volume work toward that end. Writing from perspectives such as missiology, biblical studies, economics, and pastoral theology, the contributors tackle crucial issues from Scripture and ministry to lay out a realistic and theologically sound view of health, wealth, and spiritual vitality.

The church is called to be a "city on a hill," to be "rich in good deeds," and especially so to the poor. How has the church fared in this task historically, and how might we heed this calling better in today's societies? The contributors in this book believe that the Scriptures and our early Christian forerunners can help us understand more clearly how to engage with economics, poverty, and wealth to the end that the church better serves the poor. Readers will encounter a breadth of topics including exegesis and themes of biblical passages, early Christian economic ethics, the prospects of Universal Basic Income, the role of almsgiving, and economic thoughts from Christians of earlier eras. If we are to serve the poor, we ought to do so thoughtfully and effectively, and these chapters will aid the reader toward that end.