The Good of Affluence: Seeking God in a Culture of Wealth [Paperback]

John R. Schneider (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

wealth incompatible with true Christianity? In The Good of Affluence John R. Schneider reopens the debate over the proper Christian attitude toward money, arguing, ultimately, that Scripture does indeed provide support for the responsible possession of wealth. This is a provocative book of Christian theology, written to help people seeking God in a culture that has grown from modern capitalism. By comparing classic Christian teaching on wealth with the realities of our modern economic world, Schneider challenges the common presumption that material affluence is inherently bad. Careful interpretation of Scripture narratives - creation, exodus, exile, and more - also shows that abundance is the condition that God envisions for all human beings and that faithful persons of wealth are part of this plan. Schneider believes that the "wealth-as-blessing" themes of the Old Testament are not to be spiritualized and do not run contrary to New Testament teachings but provide exactly the frame of reference for the incarnate identity, life, and teaching of Jesus, who came to make real the messianic feast, both in this age and in the age to come. Through insightful engagement with the biblical text Schneider overturns some of the most cherished and unquestioned assumptions of influential Christian writers (particularly Ronald Sider) on modern capitalist affluence. Yet Schneider's message is also finely balanced with the need for responsible Christian living. He offers rich Christians biblical affirmation but also challenges them to a life shaped by an uncommon sense of stewardship and compassion. Incisive, thought provoking, and biblically grounded, The Good of Affluence is a superb resource for anyone - students, professors, businesspeople, general readers, discussion groups - wishing to grapple seriously with the subject of faith and wealth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This substantially revised edition of Schneider's earlier book Godly Materialism: Rethinking Money and Possessions is more scholarly and theological than the earlier title, but it retains the same thesis: there is a biblical precedent for the responsible ownership of wealth. He cautions, however, that "human history has never before known circumstances in which entire societies were affluent" and not just individuals, so such biblical support needs to be tempered with careful reflection about how Christians can seek God in a full-blown capitalist society. Schneider is unabashed in his admiration for capitalism, which he regards as uniquely suited to ensure that all of God's people enjoy prosperity. However, even readers who disagree with him on this point can learn much from his overall position, which lies between the "prosperity theologians," who believe that God blesses the faithful with material wealth, and the "radical Christians" (e.g., Tony Campolo and Ron Sider), who view individual wealth as almost entirely negative.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802833632
• ISBN-13: 978-0802833631
• Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 5.9 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #849,581 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gracious call to generous delight September 22, 2006

By A Teacher

Format:Hardcover

When I was growing up, many well-meaning people talked to me about my obligation to care about global poverty, but their message was so extreme it was unlivable. The message was simple: as long as there is one child dying of hunger in the world, you have no right to enjoy the wealth and privilege you've been given as a citizen of this country. You should feel guilty for everything you have and live on as little as possible. As a college teacher, I see many of my students receive this same message, and many of them respond as I did: because the burden of guilt is too heavy to be borne, they give up on caring for the poor at all. John Schneider's book is a much-needed antidote to this guilt-ridden message. Schneider begins with a careful reading of Scripture and demonstrates how we should care for the poor while at the same time enjoying the goodness of God's abundant creation. This book is not a glorification of self-indulgence, but a call for a biblically-grounded attitude of generous delight in the gifts of God. I have used this book as a classroom text, and it was very well received.

Full disclosure: I'm acquainted with John Schneider, since we teach at the same college. However, I have many other colleagues whose books are for sale on Amazon, and this is the only such book I've ever bothered to review. I personally found the book to be a helpful word of grace.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Are the wealthy barred from heaven? February 16, 2003

By GRB

Format:Hardcover

Author John Schneider answers the question with a resounding, NO! This book provides Christians with a Godly vision to live with integrity and humility in our capitalist society. Schneider eloquently describes how well off Christians can live in faith while enjoying life to the fullest. Schneider posits that God created man to delight in God's glory, including material delight. Schneider helps us properly achieve and enjoy affluence as God intended, in a God-centered, not self-centered, way.

Our delight includes compassion for our neighbors, especially the poor and powerless. This is an essential part of God's vision for us. But God does not require Christians to sell all of their possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. Schneider rejects as unbiblical critics of wealth who would impose the doctrines of asceticism or utilitarianism on Christians. However, God does call on us to use our affluence in a creative and redemptive manner to help the poor and powerless. Schneider persuasively argues that this directive is limited by the principle of moral proximity, which he describes at length.

Abundance is a condition that God intends for all of us. This book deftly helps Christians remain faithful to God while enjoying the fruit God provides in this capitalist culture. I highly recommend this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Exegetical Defense of Affluence We Have Long Needed December 28, 2009

By David Bahnsen

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Of all the issues that hold ideological significance in my life, none reach the level of gravity that the subject of faith and capitalism do. I am convinced that there are more souls to be won by demonstrating the compatibility of free market economics with the Judeo-Christian worldview than any other mechanism on the planet. Likewise, I am convinced that there are more societies and nations that can be won over to prosperity and freedom, if but only for the faith community's stubborn inability to embrace such. Dr. John Schneider's remarkable work, The Good of Affluence: Seeking God in a Culture of Wealth, is a huge first step in seeing this dream become reality.

I do not know what impact the book will end up having, as I do not believe it has received the audience it deserves. I am determined to change that. But allow me to comment a bit on what the book has successfully demonstrated:

- That God, as part of his normative will, desires for His people to live in delight. Our covenantal journey is one of starting at, and returning to, Edenic conditions. This is an economic journey, just as it is a spiritual and moral one. Schneider's thesis ought not be confused with prosperity theology. Schneider does not argue that all Christians will live in prosperity; he merely argues that those who do are called to such, and ought not be ashamed.

- The doctrine of moral proximity. That is, that believers are most responsible for the things most proximate to them. After reading Schneider's elaboration here, it is almost too obvious to be profound. But I believe it has gigantic implications in the Christian life.

- That the "problem texts" for rich Christians are 100% of the time "problems" only for those abusing the poor - not those whose hard work and ambition has created material abundance. Schneider carries us through Eden, the Exodus, the prophets, and the age of Jesus' own earthly ministry. He powerfully posits that riches are not only not condemned in the Scriptures, they are encouraged. This is where Schneider's credentials as a theologian become very valuable. Pagans like Adam Smith, F.A. Hayek, Joseph Schumpter, and Ludwig Von Mises have done yeoman's work in demonstrating the superior capabilities of free market ideology. Contemporary economists like Milton Friedman and Larry Kudlow have elaborated on such, and done so with a certain appreciation for faith and values. But theologically pedigreed scholars have been few and far between in the movement to advocate a decidedly capitalistic culture. Schneider gives us the best of all worlds.

The notion that all Christians belong in the "promised land" is rank heresy. But so is the idea that all Christians belong in the "wilderness". The sociological benefits of capitalism are so clear and so persuasive it is remarkable that the discussion still has to take place. The Proverbial message of hard work leading to prosperity is not merely descriptive - it is prescriptive as well. Schneider goes beyond the historical, sociological, and economic arguments for free market capitalism. He intertwines such with the theological prescription that has been so massively absent from the works of Ron Sider, Jim Wallis, and Brian McClaren. No theology professor in the country has written a book as important as Schneider's this decade. I commend it wholeheartedly, and even more so, commend the efforts of all people of faith to bridge political and economic ideology with theology.