tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343163817426504212.post8434870116174629926..comments2023-08-15T14:13:25.881+01:00Comments on The Simple Pastor: Book Review: Business for the Glory of GodPhil Whittallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924050376023993196noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343163817426504212.post-84728984634686955022008-09-20T08:38:00.000+01:002008-09-20T08:38:00.000+01:00I think if Grudem does write a longer book on this...I think if Grudem does write a longer book on this issue, it should be much better because hopefully he'll address all the relevant topics (Jubilee included) and fill in the shortcomings, that to be fair, are pretty difficult to avoid in a short book on a big subject.Phil Whittallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02924050376023993196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343163817426504212.post-80872597554281933872008-09-19T20:26:00.000+01:002008-09-19T20:26:00.000+01:00Inequality.Hm.I've never been able to get beyond t...Inequality.<BR/><BR/>Hm.<BR/><BR/>I've never been able to get beyond the Jubilee principle in Leviticus 25 which (if implemented) would have achieved two things:<BR/><BR/>1. The opportunity for individuals to advance economically in unequal ways according to a range of factors (hard work, quality of soil, "fortune", shrewdness, etc) and for this advancement (or lack of it) to be felt by their children.<BR/><BR/>2. The radical and structured redistribution of the means of production (land, in an agrarian society) in such a way as to limit long-term inequality and avoid the creation of a permanent class system. <BR/><BR/>Not being a reconstructionist, I do not believe that nation states are required to implement a Year of Jubilee every 50 years. I do, however, believe:<BR/><BR/>1. That the goal of economic equality within the church at both a local and global level was an apostolic goal (ref. 2 Cor 8:12-14) and should remain one today.<BR/><BR/>2. That the principles contained in the Jubilee law (and elsewhere in Scripture) do provide us with a revelation of God's mind and heart on the issue of equality. Good governance will surely want to take these principles into account when formulating economic and social policy in "secular" nations.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the review. Assuming the summary is accurate, it does seem that Grudem has fallen into the common trap of applying one area of Biblical wisdom (freedom to do business) without focusing on another (structures that prohibit class systems).<BR/><BR/>Hm.Al Shawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07179473485486839470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343163817426504212.post-71480800963810093062008-09-17T16:20:00.000+01:002008-09-17T16:20:00.000+01:00Yes, I wonder who these strange Christians are who...Yes, I wonder who these strange Christians are who believe business is evil. Personally I don't think we need a book that justifies or defends business as much as a book that provides a positive vision for it, a 'God's Politics' for the business community.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343163817426504212.post-8332464502132599722008-09-16T23:28:00.000+01:002008-09-16T23:28:00.000+01:00An NFI pastor criticising St Grudem? That makes a ...An NFI pastor criticising St Grudem? That makes a nice change! Sadly, it is not just on business that he has a dangerous tendency to stray beyond his areas of expertise and paint everything there as either black or white.Peter Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13395635409427347613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343163817426504212.post-28707249833415777972008-09-16T22:52:00.000+01:002008-09-16T22:52:00.000+01:00I certainly would agree about encouraging business...I certainly would agree about encouraging business and making money. Making lots of money has never been the issue, it's keeping lots of money that is the issue. <BR/>The point about Grudem on inequality is that he's inconsistent. 'Fairness of reward requires such differences' but there's very little that's fair about the way we remunerate people or that's fair about the distribution of gifts. And the point of the 2nd parable is that God in His grace can clearly be profoundly unfair and incredibly generous and still remain in the right!Phil Whittallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02924050376023993196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343163817426504212.post-21905007006000702552008-09-16T22:43:00.000+01:002008-09-16T22:43:00.000+01:00Well those two parables are illustrating different...Well those two parables are illustrating different things! They are both useful parables for a parent: one is helpful in teaching my children to make full use of the gifts and opportunities they have - gifts & opportunities that mean they will be 'superior' to some people and 'inferior' to others; the other is useful in explaining grace.<BR/><BR/>Grudem is clearly well to the right politically, and all of us have our theology flavoured by our politics (and vice versa).<BR/><BR/>Still, I thought it a helpful book because there can be a sense in the evangelical world that somehow it is dirty to make money, and so entrepreneurial activity can be stifled, which does none of us any good. I imagine this book would encourage the entrepreneurs.Matthew Hosierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00640515265244576341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343163817426504212.post-10534181379096305732008-09-16T22:23:00.000+01:002008-09-16T22:23:00.000+01:00I think he is definitely defending American capita...I think he is definitely defending American capitalism (that's clearer when you listen to his talk). I think I and Grudem would agree with you on the equality issue, but to say it gives opportunity to be generous is not the same as saying inequality is a good in itself. I'm not sure God gets glory from things being unequal. Grudem gives the example of the parable of the talents to back his case but he doesn't use the parable of the workers in the vineyard. So that's why I think it's weak.Phil Whittallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02924050376023993196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343163817426504212.post-39344055106799027532008-09-16T19:48:00.000+01:002008-09-16T19:48:00.000+01:00Interesting. I was intruiged when I saw this, thou...Interesting. I was intruiged when I saw this, though not enough to spend a tener on it. I wonder how much his reflections are shaped by an American mindset - not that a British one would necessarily be that different. I've reasoned that some inequality exists because it gives opportunity for generosity (from 2 Cor 8) but that's not a massively thought out position - and clearly human responsibility for what we assume we deserve, how we treat others has got to be par of the equation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02894433115379089423noreply@blogger.com