Pious materialism: how American view faith and money - Religion and Economic Values survey conducted at Princeton University - Cover Story

Christian Century, March 3, 1993 by Robert Wuthnow

3. People seldom think about connections between faith and money. Religious writers sometimes comment on how frequently the Bible itself discusses money This message seems to have gotten through only to a bare majority of working Americans. Fifty-one percent agree that "the Bible contains valuable teachings about the use of money." But agreement is one thing; making use of these teachings is another. Only 29 percent said they had thought more than a little in the past year about "what the Bible teaches about money," and only a few more (31 percent) had thought this much about the broader issue of "the connection between religious values and your personal finances."

4. Clergy may be fearful of seeming too interested in money. Most of the pastors we talked to admitted they found it difficult to preach about money. Our research revealed at least part of the reason pastors feel this way. Many people believe that churches should be devoted entirely to the spiritual life, rather than having to pay any attention to material needs. In the survey 43 percent agreed that "churches are too eager to get your time and money." On another question, 36 percent said "it annoys me when churches are too, eager to get your time and money."

EVEN MORE TELLING was the response to the question of whether people would give more or less to their church "if the church emphasized giving money more than it does now." Thirty percent said they would give less; only 7 percent said they would give more. In contrast, when people were asked what they would do "if the clergy were less materialistic," 31 percent said they would give more, while only 9 percent said they would give less. (The remainder said it would make no difference.)

5. Stewardship has lost much of its meaning. One might think that the stewardship sermon would provide churches with an occasion to offer instruction to parishioners about money and material possessions. But stewardship is perceived by the public to mean either something as narrow as charitable giving or something so broad that it has virtually no specific implications. When we asked people what they thought was the best definition of stewardship, 10 percent said it meant "giving a certain percentage of your money to the church," 12 percent thought it was "taking good care of our planet," 16 percent said it meant "remembering that God make everything," 40 percent said it was "using your individual talents in a responsible way," and 20 percent were unsure. Moreover, only 22 percent said the idea was very meaningful to them; 40 percent said it was fairly meaningful; 20 percent said it was not very or not at all meaningful; and 18 percent were unsure.

These are all serious cultural impediments. But they are, nevertheless, impediments that the churches can address. After all, the subject of money is too important to be left entirely to economists. Money can be discussed in churches more openly than it is currently, especially in caring and supportive small groups. The moral dimensions of money can be addressed by theologians and ethicists. Sunday school classes and Bible study groups can stimulate thinking about the connections between faith and money Clergy need to do a better job of communicating their churches' material needs. And stewardship must be discussed in terms of its specific implications for the Christian life--not in vague generalities. The stakes are high. But in facing up to our material obsessions, we should expect more from churches than silence.