Neither poverty nor riches : a biblical theology of material possessions / Craig L. Blomberg. [print]

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Old Testament and material possessions : the historical books -- Old Testament wisdom and prophetic literature -- Additional historical background : between the Testaments -- Teaching of Jesus in the synoptic Gospels -- Earliest Christianity -- Life and teaching of Paul -- Rest of the New Testament.

One of the most difficult questions facing Christians today is that of the proper attitude toward possessions. In wealthy nations such as Britain and the USA, individuals accumulate much and yet are daily exposed to the plight of the poor, whether the homeless on their own city streets or starving children on their TV screens. What action should we take on behalf of the poor? What should we do with our own possessions? In Neither Poverty nor Riches Craig Blomberg asks what the Bible has to say about these issues. Avoiding easy answers, he instead seeks a comprehensive biblical theology of possessions. And so he begins with the groundwork laid by the Old Testament and the ideas developed in the intertestamental period, then draws out what the whole New Testament has to say on the subject, and finally offers conclusions and applications relevant to our contemporary world. - Publisher.