Does God want you to be rich or poor?
Dr. Deborah Savage, business consultant and adjunct professor of theology at St. Thomas, will lead the next Theology on Tap discussion on the question of whether God wants you to be rich or poor.
Participants will meet from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in Koch Commons. Everyone is welcome. Pizza and pop will be served.
Two excerpts from Scripture highlight the perplexity of the discussion:
- "Jesus spoke to them again, ' ... I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.' " – John 10: 10
- "Jesus said to his disciples, 'Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.' " – Matthew 19: 23-24
There is a controversial movement gaining momentum in American Christianity. Most commonly referred to as the "gospel of prosperity," its proponents claim that the Scriptures reveal that God wants us to enjoy material prosperity and to have riches in this life that reflect the divine abundance. The notion that material wealth is a reflection of divine favor is not a new one in American culture; it has been a (sometimes) hidden assumption since the founding of the Republic.
But what do the Scriptures really say? What does our Christian tradition say on these matters? What is the meaning of wealth and how much is enough?
If you are hoping to make money when you graduate from UST, you will want to come to Theology on Tap where participants will examine the meaning and purpose of work and of wealth in light of the Christian vocation.
