Throughout his ministry, Jesus spoke frequently and unabashedly on the now-taboo subject of money. With nothing good to say to the rich, the New Testament–indeed the entire Bible–is far from positive towards the topic of personal wealth. And yet, we all seek material prosperity and comfort. How are Christians to square the words of their savior with the balances of their bank accounts, or more accurately, with their unquenchable desire for financial security? While the church has developed diverse responses to the problems of poverty, it is often silent on what seems almost as straightforward a biblical principle: that wealth, too, is a problem. By considering the particular context of the recent economic history of Ireland, this book explores how the parables of Jesus can be the key to unlocking what it might mean to follow Christ as wealthy people without diluting our dilemma or denying the tension. Through an engagement with contemporary economic and political thought, aided by the work of Karl Barth and William T. Cavanaugh, this book represents a unique and innovative intervention to a discussion that applies to every Christian in the Western world.
عن المؤلف
William T. Cavanaugh is director of the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology and professor of Catholic studies at De Paul University in Chicago. His areas of specialization are political theology, economic ethics, and ecclesiology. His publications include Field Hospital: The Church’s Engagement in Markets, Politics, and Conflict; Migrations of the Holy: Theologies of State and Church; and The Myth of Religious Violence: Secular Ideology and the Roots of Modern Conflict.