Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Material Possessions

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Jun 2002 by Spencer, William David

Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Material Possessions. By Craig L. Blomberg. NSBT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999, 300 pp., n.p.

When Oxford political economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith published his Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations on March 9, 1776, which would set the scene for the industrial revolution, he announced that, to succeed, a technical society required "another duty [which] is to maintain the means of education, among which we may include not only the university, but also the Church." While many Christians have sought to create such texts in the ensuing years, few, if any, have provided the level of education made available to us by Craig Blomberg in this "biblical theology of material possessions."

Using the hermeneutic of "filtering" OT data through "its 'fulfillment' in Christ" (worked out in his Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, co-written with William Klein and Robert Hubbard [1993]), while seeking "situation-specific" applications to contemporary issues for findings in both testaments, he presents "a survey in roughly historical sequence of the contribution of the major biblical witnesses to a theology of material possessions for God's people in the church age, that is, from Pentecost onward" (p. 30).

Toward this end Blomberg has compiled seven fairly thorough chapters and a summary chapter, examining the biblical data. Chapters 1-2 assess the OT's historical and poetical books. Chapter 3 examines the intertestamental period, including an interesting discussion of the Qumran material as well as the expected Apocrypha, with a nod to the Greco-Roman context. Chapter 4 centers on Jesus' teachings in the Synoptics. Chapter 5 examines James and the Jewish Church in Acts, ending with a discussion of clashes between Christian and Pagan economic practices. Chapter 6 is devoted to Paul's teachings on the use of money, particularly to the Corinthians, and chap. 7 summarizes the rest of the NT.

Because of Blomberg's total investment in close readings of all relevant texts, insights abound. Assessing his primary audience to be conservative, evangelical onethird-world Christians, he immediately addresses a priori assumptions that all poverty is caused by "indigence, false religion and corruption" (p. 17). In a careful presentation, he widens perspectives by citing natural disasters, famine, drought, small and infertile fields, chronic underdevelopment, lack of education, disease, political oppression, religious persecution, and war. Blomberg also adds a balanced discussion of the benefits and limits of various views in liberation theology of the spiritual standing of the poor and concludes: "Neither the amassing of riches nor their lack is seen as a necessary good (or evil). The industriousness promoted by capitalism finds parallels, but the poor are by no means seen as generally lazy. The relative equality promoted by socialism appears, too, but via individual and familial titles to property, not via state ownership" (p. 82). Further, he states, "The prophetic denunciation of social injustice central to liberation theology permeates the OT, but not once is there a call for violent resistance to Israel's oppressors on these grounds" (p. 82). Instead, "Numerous passages require God's people not to mistreat the foreigner or alien ... it would seem unconscionable that any Christian should ever support efforts to withhold basic human services from the neediest in any land, regardless of their country of origin" (p. 48). He sees generosity as a type of synecdoche, reflecting humanity's "helpless position before God" and universal need for a "Redeemer" (p. 48).

From his discussion of Job emerges a central point of his argument: "God's people may at times be enormously wealthy, but a major purpose of God granting them that wealth is that they may share it with those in need" (p. 59).

Therefore, as one emerges from this book, one is left not with a sense of guilt for being privileged to have access to plenty, but with a clearly defined biblical conviction of responsibility to make certain everyone else is provided the same access to plenty. For all the work the author expended to move us to that position, we are in his debt.

William David Spencer

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA