Tag: stewardship
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Theology and Economics: Jubilee Code
The most instructive passage on economic behavior is Leviticus 25 instructions concerning the sabbath and Jubilee. Chapter 25 is often referred to as the "Jubilee Code." Leviticus 25:1-7 1 The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: 2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that…
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Theology and Economics: Commutative Justice
Commutative Justice – The truthfulness of parties to an economic exchange. Commutative Justice is about honest and just economic transactions. It is a major theme in both Testaments of the Bible. From the Old Testament: Lev 19:11 NRSV You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another.…
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Theology and Economics: Distributive Justice
Distributive Justice – How capital and goods are distributed throughout society. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…" and only God is eternal. Therefore, everything ultimately belongs to God. Yet God created us to be "stewards" of his creation. "Steward" is not widely used today. I love its Old English origins. Hundreds…
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Toward an Evangelical Public Policy: Chapter 13
Toward an Evangelical Public Policy Part III – Central Themes for an Evangelical Framework Chapter 13 – Stewardship. By R. Scott Rodin, vice president John R. Frank Consulting Group in Seattle, Washington. The goal of this chapter is to look at six evangelical theological convictions that from a theology of stewardship, namely Christocentric epistemology, the…
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Young dream-seekers strapped by debt
Tony Campolo used to preach that God expects us to contribute 10% of our yearly income to throw a party with God. The real question is, what will you do with the other 90% of God's money? I hear a lot about preaching stewardship in our churches which usually translates into a plan for getting…
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“The Doctrine of Calling” Doug Groothuis
Presbyweb had a link to a blog entry by Doug Groothuis called "The Doctrine of Calling." I have read some of his wife's work but not his. He wrote a book called Truth Decay, which I have but have not read (along with about 1,000 others.) I sense he may not be keen on the…
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Fill the Earth
Gen 1:27-28 NRSV 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and…
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Jubilee Ethic
Jubilee sounds like an idea with great potential. However, as Yogi Berra once observed, “To say a player has potential means he hasn’t done it yet.” (Of course, he also said, “I didn’t really say a lot of the things I said.”) There is no evidence that Israel ever observed the Jubilee. In fact, they…
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Keepers of the Pig Sty
Centuries ago, in feudal England, one's wealth was based largely on the amount of land and livestock owned. An army of servants managed livestock. A "ward" was a servant responsible for some aspect of the operation. The feudal lord's most valued possession was often his herd of pigs. Consequently, the most trusted ward was the…