Cover Story ... Time Magazine

Here is a Time Magazine story about prosperity theology that is timely, and the authors, David Van Biema & Jeff Chu, know their subject.

The provocative piece, titled “Does God Want You To Be Rich?”, gets at the heart of a raging debate among American Evangelicals on what the authors call the “theology of money.”

This must-read article presents both sides of the debate in an equal and candid light. The authors also wrestle with the Biblical scriptures that fuel each side’s claim to spiritual superiority. Here’s a sample:

As with almost any important religious question, the first response of most Christians (especially Protestants) is to ask how Scripture treats the topic. But Scripture is not definitive when it comes to faith and income. Deuteronomy commands believers to "remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth", and the rest of the Old testament is dotted with celebrations of God's bestowal of the good life. On at least one occasion--the so-called parable of the talents (a type of coin)--Jesus holds up savvy business practice (investing rather than saving) as a metaphor for spiritual practice. Yet he spent far more time among the poor than the rich, and a majority of scholars quote two of his most direct comments on wealth: the passage in the Sermon on the Mount in which he warns, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth ... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven"; and his encounter with the "rich young ruler" who cannot bring himself to part with his money, after which Jesus famously comments, "It is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
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This is a sample of excellent writing on a relevant faith-based topic in the mainstream media that is reinforced with scripture (short, tight passages that get to the point).

This article is a top-flight candidate for the 2006 Amy Writing Awards. I’m going to write Van Biema and Chu and encourage them to enter AND keep up the good work!

Submitted by,
Bruce Umpstead