Money
Money is a spiritual topic, which is the reason the Bible speaks of it so often. In fact, it is a key entry point into our relationship with God as it can raise all of the uncomfortable questions around security, scarcity, fear, and justice. But we rarely discuss money in our churches, except to ask for financial donations.
This topic is closely related to Stewardship and Sabbath & Jubilee. Find more information and resources under those topics.
This topic is closely related to Stewardship and Sabbath & Jubilee. Find more information and resources under those topics.
Quotations
When giving to the poor you are not giving him what is yours; rather you are paying back to him what is his. Indeed what is common to all and has been given to all to make use of, you have usurped for yourself alone. St. Ambrose of Milan, 4th Century
Riches prick us with a thousand troubles in getting them, as many cares in preserving them, and yet more anxiety in spending them, and with grief in losing them. St. Francis of Assisi
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One-eighth of the content of the Bible's gospel accounts (about the life and ministry of Jesus) is about money matters. Nearly half of all Jesus' parables relate to money in some way. Our Lord spends so much time talking about money that it's obvious there's a connection between faith and finances. Robert C. Heerspink
Firstfruits: A Stewardship Guide For Church Leaders |
We read the Gospel as if we had no money, and we spend our money as if we know nothing of the Gospel. John Haughey, S.J.
I never viewed money as being "my money." I always saw it as "The money." It's a resource. If it pools up around me then it needs to be flushed back out into the system. |
Books
Money & Faith: The Search For Enough
Michael Shut, Ed. Talking about money in a personal way remains more of a taboo than sex or politics. This seems odd within a Christian context, since Jesus addressed topics of money, poverty, and wealth more than any other concerns. For many, money becomes an idol; we see it in our own culture as we pursue economic growth no matter the cost to the overall well-being of God’s creation. When that happens, “enough” is always more than we have right now, and scarcity becomes the lens through which we see the world. On a personal level, this book opens up issues of scarcity and abundance, idolatry and freedom; on a societal level, it invites exploration of greater equity and sustainability. On both levels, it empowers individuals and groups to apply their faith’s values in practical ways while taking pastoral and prophetic stances. The author suggests we need to experience the nurturing companionship of a wise, compassionate pastor or spiritual guide in our relationship to money, while also needing to experience the power, strength, anger, and call to repentance of an Old Testament prophet. People want to connect their values with everyday concerns, while discovering ways to make a positive difference. This book helps them do both. (Amazon) |
God and Mammon in America
Robert Wuthnow Drawing on a new survey of more than two thousand working Americans, the author of Christianity in the 21st Century explores the relationship between religious faith and attitudes toward work and money to examine Americans' ambivalence toward materialism and consumerism. (Amazon) Faith & Money Study Guide
Faith & Money Network This 8-week guide is great for church groups, Bible studies, and prayer groups. Start your own Faith and Money Study Circle! This guide is designed to be a first step in gathering with others to discuss and reflect on the connection of faith and money. The curriculum contains readings and questions often presented at Faith and Money Network programs, and is applicable for those just beginning to address issues of faith and money and those who have been working with these issues for years. It includes tools like “Writing Your Money Autobiography.” (Faith & Money Network) |
Virtue and Affluence: The Challenge of Wealth
John C. Haughey, S.J. Beginning in 1991, Jesuit priest and lecturer John Haughey was asked to conduct a series of weekend workshops for Christian people who had considerable wealth -- mostly multimillionaires. He was challenged to help them reflect on their responsibilities or "call" with respect to their wealth, leading them as a group of peers to shed light on their own personal reflections and insights. Members of the middle class are intrigued by the wealthy but they also find that they are bedeviled by many of the same questions that bother those addressed in this challenging and incisive book. (Amazon) Your Money or Your Life: A Group Study Guide for Contemporary Christians
If Jesus returned to Earth and paid us a visit, what might he think of the way we live? Would he see us as responsible and compassionate stewards of creation? Contemporary Christians face a major challenge: aligning their everyday actions in the realm of money with their deepest values. This study guide was created in response to hundreds of requests form church members and clergy who had already discovered for themselves the power of the program in "Your Money or Your Life." (New Roadmap Foundation) |
Articles
- Jesus Wasn't Afraid To Talk About Money: Stewardship of sharing is about having what we need (Patricia Kasten, The Compass, Green Bay Catholic Diocese)
- Write Your Money Autobiography (Faith & Money Network)
- Serving God With Our Money, In Boom Times and Bust (Sojourners)
- Pope Francis Attacks "Cult of Money" in Reform Call (The Guardian)
Videos
Beyond the News: Money
Does talking about money make you uncomfortable? Is our money disconnected from our faith? It is difficult to discuss our finances with each other. We make daily choices about how we spend, save, or give it away. And we generally want those choices to remain private. Particularly in church, we are uncomfortable sharing our thoughts about money. (MennoMedia) |
Organizations & Websites
- Faith & Money Network - Faith and Money Network equips people to transform their relationship with money, to live with integrity and intentionality, and to participate in creating a more equitable world. Many people of faith in today’s economy are searching for meaning beyond their work and consumption, for deeper relationships, for a part in a more sustainable economy that supports all people as well as our planet. Faith and Money Network equips people to explore the many aspects of their relationship with money within the grounding of their faith.
Related To
Stewardship approaches money from the perspective of gift and acting as a responsible caretaker and giver of those gifts.
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Sabbath & Jubilee approaches money from the perspective of abundance, healthy limits, and forgiveness of debt to right injustice.
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Social justice addresses many financial issues, calling us to right injustices.
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It is very natural in our culture to find our security in money, but this is a form of idolatry. How might we put God before money?
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Header photo by seadigs (Creative Commons License).