God So Loved, He Gave: Entering the Movement of Divine Generosity Review

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God So Loved, He Gave: Entering the Movement of Divine Generosity ReviewIt is rare to recommend a book without any reservations, but Go So Loved, He Gave is that sort of book. I agree with the litany of glowing endorsements that this is a book that should move to the top of your reading list.
With sparkling prose, Kelly M. Kapic (professor of theology at Covenant College) and Justin Borger (Generosity Content Director for the Maclellan Foundation) describe the biblical story through the lens of generosity, articulating a comprehensive vision supported by compelling expositions of particular passages. At the heart of this story is the triune God who owns all things not through holy hoarding, but through acts of holy generosity. Out of his loving generosity, God created the world, but sinful humans abused this gift by selfishly taking, becoming broken and banished instead of enjoying the bliss of belonging. Astonishingly, God addressed this brokenness not by punishing his rebellious creation, but by giving himself so that his creatures can truly belong to him. Belonging to God means participating in his kingdom inaugurated by the work of Jesus, and living within the movements of divine generosity.
At this point in the book, the narrative slows down and deals in more detail with the nature of God the Father's gift of the Son and the Spirit, as well as the process of believing, experiencing, and living within this gift. The authors do so through unrushed, conversational retellings of Gospel stories, which reveal that faith in Jesus is itself a gift from God while at the same time an urgent demand. The Spirit too is a gift uniting us to Christ as a guarantee, seal, and first-fruit of fully experiencing God's gifts in the kingdom and new creation. In the present, we experience God's gift of salvation in Jesus by producing generous fruit, most notably caring for the poor and needy. Eternal life in God's kingdom is experienced as a gift in the present, generating hope in the full and future experience of triune generosity.
What does it mean practically, however, to "enter into the movement of divine generosity" in the present? For one, Kapic and Borger insist that we live God's gift through word and deed, proclaiming the righteousness of God in Christ and living out this righteousness with particular partiality toward the poor. In this way, we improvisationally imitate the form of Jesus' life, who for our sake became poor, giving up his rights to make us rich in righteousness. Cross-shaped generosity is about giving one's whole person, not just a mere ten percent of income as a tithe. As such, enabled by God's continual giving, Christians should be committed to radically generous and hospitable lifestyles with the goal of witnessing to the cross and resurrection through "worshipful communion in the truth" (196), not winning culture wars or political battles. This is the work of the whole Christian community, who has received much in order to give to others. The missional orientation of the early church is evident in the collections for the poor pursued so passionately by Paul and other church leaders. Kapic and Borger observe that these collections certainly served to relieve poverty, but also to unify the church, participate in God's grace, and prefigure future life with the triune God who "in fairness...favors the fatherless and received the rejected" (212). In short, grateful worship, bold proclamation, embracive hospitality, and generous giving are all fitting ways to participate in the drama of divine generosity.
Several elements make God So Love, He Gave a stunning accomplishment. By drawing on authors as diverse as John Calvin, Pope Benedict, Abraham Kuyper, and Walter Brueggemann, the book soars above stifling provincialism and helps readers hear the voice of the universal church. The book is saturated with Scripture, which can be located with an excellent Scripture index, with particular passages utilized not merely as isolated proof texts, but connected to the comprehensive drama of salvation and divine generosity. Each chapter deals with basic theological topics, but these topics are addressed again and again from creative angles and with both deep theological insight and pastoral wisdom. For example, Kapic and Borger recognize that Christians are not called to imitate the exact career of Jesus, but that we are called to follow the form of his life, a process that bears similarities to the improvisation of jazz musicians who riff within a basic beat. In addition, there is an excellent discussion guide at the end, enabling the reader or groups of readers to reflect on this rich material (also available for download on the website).
Of course, it is impossible for a book of this size to cover everything regarding the divine drama of generosity and our participation within this drama. As such, there is a jump from chapter two and the Fall to chapter three and the coming of the Messiah and King Jesus. Although the Old Testament is discussed in relation to prophesies of the King (49-51), the theme of kingdom generosity would have been more complete with an additional chapter on the Old Testament, while providing more rationale for choosing kingdom as an overarching theme rather than covenant or something else. In addition, it would have been fascinating to see further explanation on the role of imagination as briefly mentioned in chapter ten, as well as how the proposal of this book corresponds or contrasts to generous orthodoxy as originally proposed by Brian McLaren (especially since the authors use the phrase "hospitable orthodoxy," 195). Another fitting conversation partner for this book is Eugene Peterson's Practice Resurrection (Eerdmans, 2010), especially given the three chapters on resurrection faith, work and life.
These last few comments are not weaknesses per se, just ways in which the thesis of this book could be elucidated and expanded. As it stands, God So Loved, He Gave is a magnificent work of theology, both in terms of articulating the truth of the gospel and showing its implications for all of life. Not only that, but the book is carefully constructed and beautiful written, making it a joy to read in every possible way. I wholeheartedly recommend that you read this book to discover the drama of divine generosity and how you can participate in the drama today.
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Economics in Christian Perspective: Theory, Policy and Life Choices Review

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Economics in Christian Perspective: Theory, Policy and Life Choices ReviewReviewed by Michael J. Douma for www.libertarianchristians.com
I picked up this book because the authors teach at my alma mater, Hope College, in Holland, MI. Although I have not met them, I was interested to see what they had to say about the relationship between Christianity and economics. The authors include an appropriate proverb, tucked away on page twenty-four. "Without freedom," they write, "there is no responsibility." They could have added that without responsibility there is no freedom. In the tradition of classical liberalism, they on insist government's role in, most importantly, protecting property and enforcing contracts, but also in stabilizing the economy, and promoting positive, and discouraging negative externalities.
The major thesis of the work is that democratic governments, free markets, and cultural institutions (i.e. the church) as separate spheres have their own responsibilities that come together like a tripod to provide the proper balance of support for society. While I assume the authors are aware of the Dutch Calvinist theologian Abraham Kuyper, and are certainly influenced by him, they make no mention of his works. This is an unfortunate omission because they share much of Kuyper's worldview. Kuyper's concept of "sphere sovereignty" first articulated in the late nineteenth century, has been influential in political thought in the Netherlands and among Dutch immigrants in America. Sphere sovereignty teaches that the church has responsibilities equal to those of the government and should not be disadvantaged by government interference. Like Kuyper, the authors believe that God had called his followers to be active in the world, and not to shun it. This is one reason why Christians should not deride the market, but come to understand its potential for making Christian change. Indeed, the model presented in this book allows society multiple angles to solve social problems, much in the way Kuyper envisioned. Markets, morals, and governments must operate with a common goal in mind.
The authors are particularly adept in providing a Christian defense of the marketplace. Scarcity, the first law of economics, does not result from sin, they write, nor can generosity eradicate it. Markets can be used for good or evil, and will feed moral sin if allowed. But markets regulate overconsumption through prices, and provide new products through innovation. Dynamic markets can cause temporary job loss or dislocations but can alleviate them and provide gain and opportunity throughout. In the authors' view, the government should step in when markets fail, and "gently nudge" the markets to provide for the otherwise unmet needs of society. Cultural institutions, meanwhile, should serve to promote virtue, a public good which will direct the actions of individuals in the marketplace and in government.
In macroeconomic policy, the authors favor Milton Friedman's monetarism, briefly understood as economic stabilization through long-term steady rates of inflation. They see the ideas of Friedman as a new paradigm in the manner described by Thomas Kuhn in his book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. The authors label their views accordingly as "new classical." They make a standard but well-reasoned critique of John Maynard Keynes. Keynes thought there was a trade-off between inflation and unemployment. When government inflated the money supply, they created jobs, but when they held back on spending to decrease inflation the unemployment rate would rise. Claar and Klay argue that workers can not be easily manipulated, and the trade-off between inflation and unemployment, as shown in the Phillips curve, is not a direct relationship when workers are rational. In other words, people can anticipate inflation and react accordingly, and they won't work if their wages are worthless. Their Christian dismissal of Keynes may be a more novel approach. Keynesian discretionary spending policies are deliberately deceitful, the authors say, because they cause wide swings in the value of money, while the monetarist position is transparent and honest. The Federal Reserve, then, should make its policies clear in the long-term and avoid sudden jolts through fiscal controls. This begs the question whether any artificial increase in the money supply with resulting debasement of currency is not therefore also immoral. And if inflation is immoral, is it a necessary evil for macroeconomic stabilization?
Perhaps the greatest shortcoming of the book is that it attempts to do too much. The authors discuss internet file-sharing, economic trade-offs, patents, the injurious effects of wage-rate laws, Christian environmental stewardship, Pigovian pollution taxes, and why human life can not be given an infinite value in cost-benefit analysis, among other topics. The best sections are some of the shortest. For example, in addressing the tithe, the authors explain that it was originally a rent paid on land, not on income, and that only in the past two centuries have churches stressed the doctrine of giving ten percent. Yet, while the authors cover extensive ground, they sometimes lose track of their audience. This work is certainly not light reading for a layman, and is best suitable for college-educated Christians who have taken a number of courses on economics. The authors make good use of stories related to Holland, Michigan, so that a local audience might also find the work additionally appealing.
Ideologically, the authors appear right-of-center, but show an eclectic mix of influences. In asking how Christian morality should meet the marketplace, the authors appeal to the philosopher John Rawls to say that we should consider how our actions affect others, or rather, how our actions would affect us if we were in a different situation. Citing the Laffer Curve, they note that an increase in the tax rate does not always lead to an increase in tax revenue. Yet, they do not question the assumption of why government should attempt to maximize tax revenue in the first place.
This book, whatever its minor faults, reminds us that economics is moral philosophy. This alone is an important message. Markets can go a long ways in helping people, and we must acknowledge this. But in addition, we learn that Christians must recognize non-monetary incentives to act morally. We must also recognize the potential benefits of government while disparaging its evils. The authors' chapter on globalization provides a clear example of this philosophy at work. As Hernando De Soto explained in his book, The Mystery of Capital, it is the ability to turn property into capital that has allowed capitalism to succeed in the West and fail in the third world. Governments must protect private property rights to allow for capital to enter the market. That is, government can play a positive role. But government can also injure markets through excessive regulation or absurd tariffs. A caring Christian should recognize the ability of the market to alleviate poverty. But he should also support Christian organizations that have established long-term commitments to aid the poor.
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Created and Called: Discovering Our Gifts for Abundant Living Review

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Created and Called: Discovering Our Gifts for Abundant Living ReviewLike the author's earlier book on gifts, this has lots of ideas, lots of information. It expanded my understanding of gifts, including things like learning style, values, passions, even weaknesses. A variety of reproducible assessment tools (but no tool for the traditional spiritual gifts). This would be helpful in developing gifts-based ministry.Created and Called: Discovering Our Gifts for Abundant Living Overview

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Experience God as Your Provider: Finding Financial Stability in Unstable Times Review

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Experience God as Your Provider: Finding Financial Stability in Unstable Times ReviewThis is not a book on how to invest, budget, or manage money. Instead, it takes the Christian reader into the heart of God as the one who provides, whether it be through an employer, the generosity of others, or in ways we couldn't dream of. The message is, no matter what the circumstances, no matter the source of income, God alone is the true provider. Ultimately our security doesn't lie in stable finances or a debt-free life but rather in Jesus Christ as Savior.
On a personal note, our family wasn't nearly as affected by the recession of the past couple of years as so many in our area were. But, given the field my husband works in (construction), the possibility of losing his job was always and still is a concern. This book was such an encouragement to me and brought me to a place of being able to surrender that fear to God completely as we rest on the truth that he will provide every need no matter what happens to us or around us.
I like that the author includes practical wisdom such as encouraging the reader to become debt-free, be wise with how one spends money, and to learn to be generous with what one has. But with every practical point he drives home the truth that God is the unfailing source behind every venue of provision. Those in the faith cannot help but come away with a renewed sense of peace despite uncertain times.
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