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Religious Studies: Christianity > 3A: Wealth > Flashcards

3A: Wealth Flashcards

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1
Q

Asceticism

A

Abstinence from worldly pleasures (eg pleasurable material possessions) normally for the sake of spiritual growth

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2
Q

Ascetic Ideal

A

the usd of asceticism to ultimately preserve power and/or life

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3
Q

Desert Fathers

A

Early Christian hermits who lived an ascetic life in the Egyptian desert

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4
Q

Anthony of Egypt and Simeon Stylites

A

Examples of early Christian hermits who lived ascetic lives

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5
Q

Manichaeism

A

A religious movement that viewed the world as a conflict between good and evil, with the souls release found through asceticism

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6
Q

Montanism

A

An early Christian movement which believed in the imminent end of the world, asceticism and continuing revelation of God in prophecy

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7
Q

Piety

A

Dutiful and devout reverence to God

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8
Q

Self-flagellation

A

Striking oneself with a whip - used by some ascetics as a form of spiritual disciple

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9
Q

Prosperity gospel

A

belief that financial means and success is a blessing from God and that faith and/or good acts will result in material recompense from God. also known as “prosperity theology”

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10
Q

Word-Faith movement

A

Another name for those who preach a prosperity gospel and who emphasise the importance of confessing or proclaiming that God has blessed them with wealth and health

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11
Q

Oral Roberts
Kenneth Hagin
Creflo Dollar

A

Examples of US evangelists, each of whom has some sympathy with the Prosperity Gospel

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12
Q

The Prayer of Jabez

A

A recent book based on prayer in 1 Chronicles 4:10. supports the Prosperity gospel

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13
Q

Craig Blomberg

A

Biblical scholar who has criticised the idea that the Bible supports a Prosperity Gospel

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14
Q

The Pastoral Epistle

A

The New Testament letters written to Christian ministers on the theme of guiding the Church

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15
Q

Stewardship

A

Management or administration of resources, In theological terms this refers to the idea that human beings are given the responsibility by God of measuring all their resources well

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16
Q

Tithe

A

The giving of 10% of one’s produce or earnings in support of a religious organisation

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17
Q

Ronald Sider

A

writer of a key Christian text on Stewardship; Rich Christians In An Age of Hunger

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18
Q

Bruce Wilkinson

A

Writer of a book ‘The Prayer of Jabez’ which is aimed at Christian’s who believe in a Prosperity Gospel approach to wealth

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19
Q

Keith Tondeur

A

Former stockbroker but now a theologian who write a book entitled ‘Your Money and your Life’ aimed at helping Christian’s avoid poverty and debt, and to be wise stewards of the money they do have

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20
Q

Mark 10:17-25 key quotes

A
  • “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven”
  • “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”
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21
Q

Mark 10:17-25 context

A

Jesus teaches the meaning of discipleship. He was Jewish so his answer to how to obtain eternal life is to keep the Mosaic Law. Traditional Jewish teaching on wealth sees it as a sign of divine favour and urges those with wealth to be generous. Jesus provides an answer out of step with the approach which would not have been expected from a respectful Rabbi

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22
Q

Mark 10:17-25 Scholarly Detail

A
  • Commandment to ‘not defraud’ is not a part of the 10 commandments but is a variation on the theme of theft
  • to defraud is to gain money through illegal means
  • some scholars see including ‘defraud’ as an example of Jesus going beyond the letter of the law to insights about its spirits
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23
Q

Fact about Mark 10-17-25

A

Some early manuscripts use the word ‘kamilon’ (rope) instead of ‘kamelon’ (camel).

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24
Q

Matthew 6:25-34 key quotes

A

“Do not be anxious about your life”
“Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

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25
Q

Matthew 6:25-34 Context

A
  • Part of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus outlines what it means to live in God’s presence
  • One of the main themes of this sermon is that righteousness must be defined in a new way, going beyond the letter of the law to an all-embracing lifestyle of love and commitment
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26
Q

Matthew 6:25-34 Message

A
  • Jesus urges his followers to have the right priorities
  • The climax of the passage is verse 33; putting the kingdom of God and righteous living first
  • The enemy of any priority is anxiety
  • Jesus’ audience are not especially wealthy or powerful, yet he still insists that the priority is not food and clothing, but spiritual clothing
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27
Q

Matthew 6:25-34 Scholarly Detail

A
  • The term anxiety is used in this passage more than in any other place
    in the NT
  • has to do with being afraid in such a way as to cause distress
  • In Maccabees 6:10 and Sirach 42: a the term is used in relation to losing sleep
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28
Q

Matthew 6:25-34 Fact

A

Jesus’ audience would have been very familiar with the wealth of Solomon, perhaps even longing for God to restore their nation to that former glory so it might nave been quite surprising to have Jesus point out that they were already surrounded by a beauty greater
than Solomon’s

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29
Q

Luke 12:33-34 Key Quote

A

“For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also”

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30
Q

Luke 12:33-34 Context

A
  • Earlier in the same chapter is the parable of the Rich man who celebrates the fact he has hoarded enough material wealth to secure his future
  • The problem is that death now comes. to him and he has made the mistake of not providing for his spiritual life
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31
Q

Luke 12:33-34 Message

A

Jesus’ requirement for his followers to sell their possessions and give them to the poor is very striking: when faced with this demand, the decision one makes reveals whether they are on the path of eternal life or on the path of the rich fool

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32
Q

Luke 12:33-34 Scholarly Detail

A
  • Most of the material in this passage is also in Matthew, except for the first sentence
  • The book of Acts shows Jesus’ followers living out this instruction to sell their possessions
  • Giving to the poor is very important in Jewish thought at the time of the NT
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33
Q

Luke 12:33-34 Facts

A
  • Some Greco-Roman thinkers would have agreed with the sentiment of this passage
  • Dio Chrysostom wrote that wealth can lead to self indulgence and should be put to use for human need
  • “But greed is not only the greatest evil to a man himself, but it injures his neighbours as well”
34
Q

1 Timothy 6:10 Key Quote

A

“For the love of money is the root of all evils”

35
Q

1 Timothy 6:10 Context

A
  • The Pastoral Epistles are concerned with heretical teachings and lax morality entering the Church
  • The author wants the Church to keep true faith, avoiding obscure beliefs and developing a strong moral centre
36
Q

1 Timothy 6:10 Message

A
  • Money is not evil in itself
  • The real danger is love of money/greed; this greed has motivated false teachers to ignore the plain truth and drift from faith
  • Material prosperity comes with a warning label, though it is the eagerness to be rich rather than riches itself that is the real danger
37
Q

1 Timothy 6:10 Scholarly Detail

A

The phrase ‘love of money is the root of all kinds of evil’ was a common saying in the ancient world. Several centuries earlier, Diogenes of Sinope said “the love of money is the mother-city of all evils”

38
Q

John Stott’s 3 responses that Christians can make to the issues of wealth and poverty

A
  1. Become poor (Ascetic Ideal)
  2. Stay rich (The Prosperity Gospel)
  3. Be generous and content with what you have, and use your wealth to benefit others (Stewardship)
39
Q

What is The Ascetic Ideal?

A

discipline or training such as avoiding indulgences for religious reasons

40
Q

Background of Asceticism

A

Comes from Greek word askeo meaning ‘training’ or ‘exercise’

41
Q

What is asceticism referred to Greek philosophy?

A

refraining from available pleasures in order to achieve a moral/intellectual goal

42
Q

According to Tondeur, when it comes to poverty an ascetic will think:

A
  • Possessions are evil
  • You work to cover a basic need
  • Godly people are poor and ungodly people are rich
  • You give because you must
  • Your spending is without gratitude
43
Q

Jesus said, “If you want to become my followers…

A

let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”

44
Q

What did denying oneself involve for Jesus?

A
  • fasting
  • devotion to prayer
  • turning away from possessions and living an itinerant lifestyle
  • abstaining from sexual relationships (not commanded)
45
Q

How was Jesus shown as less of an ascetic as John the Baptist?

A

He enjoyed hospitality and Jesus quoted gossip about himself: “look like a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34)

46
Q

Which theologians followed an ascetic life?

A

Origen and Pelagius

47
Q

Why did Origen become an ascetic?

A

so his soul could be purified from passion (put himself in voluntary poverty and fasted)

48
Q

Who were the Desert Fathers and what did they do?

A

Simon Sytilles and Antony of Egypt
- renounced Church to focus on a simple lifestyle of prayer and devotion in remote locations
- saw Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness and John the Baptist’s lifestyle as examples to follow

49
Q

In the Middle Ages, what were some ways monasteries attempted to build Christian character through disciplined life?

A
  • focused on the suffering of Christ
  • violent forms were wearing hair shirts and chains along with self flagellation
  • spiritual discipline; prayer, penitence, reading spiritual work, pilgrimages and reflecting on the meaning of sacraments
50
Q

What ideas does asceticism suggest about the relationship Christians should have with the material world?

A

Christians view the world as in some way separated from God; therefore care needs to be taken as to how to rightly participate in the world

51
Q

Give three examples of ascetic practices and three examples of people who practised Christian asceticism

A

Ascetic practices:
- extreme forms of fasting
- renouncing home property
- abstaining from sexual activity

People:
- Origen
- Pelagius
- Desert Fathers

52
Q

How do John the Baptist and Jesus compare as ascetics?

A

Jesus is shown as less ascetic than John the Baptist.
- Mark 8:34: “if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”

53
Q

What Biblical teachings might ascetics rely on?

A

Acts 24:16 and Mark 8:34

54
Q

Do you think all Christians should be ascetics or is it for only a very few, or even none at all?

A

No because it is a form of extremity and the psychology of the brain after not eating for a long time can alter

55
Q

What is the Prosperity Gospel also known as?

A

the ‘Health and Wealth gospel’ or the ‘Word of Faith’ movement

56
Q

What is the main characteristic of ‘prosperity teaching’?

A

the claim that those who truly believe will receive financial blessings as a sign of God’s favour

57
Q

What is the Prosperity Gospel?

A

the teaching that Christians have the right to express wealth and good health. they can achieve this by making a positive confession of faith as well as ‘sowing seeds’ through the payment of tithes and offerings to religious causes

58
Q

How did the Prosperity Gospel gain popularity?

A

through prominent television of evangelists at the end of the 20th century

59
Q

Who was Oral Roberts?

A

a televangelist who built a financial empire including several homes, a university and a hospital
- a key event for him was when his Bible opened on 3 John verse 2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” - this was when he realised it was permissible to be rich

60
Q

Why is the Prosperity Gospel also known as the ‘word faith’ movement?

A

because of the teaching that it is not good enough to merely believe what the Bible says about wellbeing; one must proclaim or confess out loud that one has health and wealth
- example: if someone is ill or disabled, they must say out loud that the healing has occurred even though symptoms may still be present. this positive confession demonstrates faith and initiates God’s healing power

61
Q

Reasons to suggest that God wants us to be wealthy

A
  • the patriarchs in the Hebrew Scriptures did experience, at times, enormous wealth
  • God’s instructions for the tabernacle include costly materials
  • there’s powerful images of the people of God inheriting the land that is ‘flowing with milk and honey’ : seems to portray a God who is not ascetic or prescribing an ascetic ideal
62
Q

Where is the Prosperity Gospel most popular and why?

A
  • in economically deprived places because it offers Christians a sense of hope for upward mobility
  • it is also popular in more wealthy areas as seen through the success of the book The Prayer of Jabez which centres on a prayer for material blessing
63
Q

What is the strongest argument against viewing wealth as a sign of God’s blessing?

A

the life and death of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s beloved son, someone who amplifies a close relationship with God, but Jesus had no wealth. He was born into a poor family and lived as a preacher relying on hospitality of others. He also died a violent death

64
Q

Why is the Prosperity Gospel also called the Health and Wealth movement?

A

because of the belief that God rewards increase in faith with an increase of health and/or wealth

65
Q

Give three examples of Christians who practice the Prosperity Gospel

A
  1. Oral Roberts
  2. Creflo Dollar
  3. Kenneth Hagin
66
Q

What Biblical texts do the prosperity gospel movement rely on?

A
  • John 3:2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prosperth”
  • James 4:3: “You do not have because you do not ask”
67
Q

Summarise how Biblical scholar Blomberg criticises the Prosperity Gospel

A
  • God never promised prosperity to all individuals based on their personal levels of faith/obedience: a promise was given to the whole nation
  • God never made similar arrangements with any of the other countries surrounding Israel: it is a mistake to apply OT promises to modern day nations
  • No NT text makes the promise of peace contingent on faith
68
Q

What is stewardship?

A

the careful and responsible use of God given resources

69
Q

What does stewardship mean?

A

administration or management
- derives from the role of a steward in ancient times, one who managed various aspects of a house
- the theological concept views humans as having the God-given position of managing all their resources well

70
Q

According to Tondeur, when it comes to stewardship…

A
  • Possessions are a responsibility
  • You work to serve Christ
  • Godly people are faithful, ungodly people are faithless
  • You give because you love God
  • Your spending is prayerful and responsible
71
Q

What are some Biblical passages to support the idea of stewardship?

A
  • Genesis 1:26-29: “rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky”
  • Genesis 2:15: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it”
  • Psalm 8; “you made them rules over the works of your hands”
  • these texts suggest God has created the Earth: it belongs to God but humans have been given charge over it
72
Q

What is the opposite of stewardship?

A

greed and covetousness (each of which are constantly condemned in the Old and New Testaments. condemned in Psalm 10)

73
Q

John Wesley quote

A

“Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can”

74
Q

How do stewards view their role?

A

wisely managing the resources that God has given them

75
Q

What are some similarities between the ascetic ideal and the prosperity gospel?

A
  • both offer ethical and moral guidelines for living a meaningful life
  • both have spiritual dimension
76
Q

What are some differences between the ascetic ideal and the prosperity gospel?

A
  • prosperity gospel emphasises materialism and God rewarding us
  • attitudes towards suffering
77
Q

Reasons why faithful Christians CAN expect God to bless them with wealth

A
  • James 4:3: “You do not have because you do not ask”
  • Biblical facts suggest that God wants people to enjoy the material world
  • Prosperity Gospel; if one walks with faith and gives generously to religious causes, God will give wealth
  • Matthew 17:20: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed […]”
  • John 3:2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in heaven, even as thy soul prosperth”
78
Q

Reasons why faithful Christians CANNOT expect God to bless them with wealth

A
  • Jesus’ life and death: had no wealth and was born into a poor family
  • Hebrew Scriptures: not everyone who walked in faith was constantly given health and wealth - Book of Job; Job had faith but suffered constant pain and loss of all wealth
  • Matthew 17:20 is actually about healing someone with a physical illness, not wealth
  • There is no promise of health and wealth in return of faith and obedience in the NT; principle of suffering strengthening faith
79
Q

Reasons to suggest the ascetic ideal IS compatible with Christianity

A
  • Jesus lived a live of poverty; travelled with disciples to spread the word of God’s kingdom —> Christians believe we should do the same to become closer to God
  • Desert Fathers: devoted to prayer instead of material gain
  • Jesus: “God is love” —> spread the word of God, it is more important than wealth
  • loving your neighbour (sharing wealth, food and materials) is the same as loving God, who wanted us to grow spiritually instead of building wealth
  • “Is life not more than clothes … what we eat, what we look like?” —> the most important thing is spiritual gain, not wealth
  • Jesus says to “deny oneself” —> denying pleasure: self flagellation
80
Q

Reasons to suggest the ascetic ideal IS NOT compatible with Christianity

A
  • some believe wealth is a gift from God, who wanted his people to live in pleasure as a reward for their belief and evangelism
  • mainstream Christians still indulge in pleasures as long as it follows Biblical rules —> Genesis: “Be fruitful”
  • some should use their wealth to protect the Earth: stewardship —> those living ascetic life cannot do this because they are denying themselves riches

Religious Studies: Christianity (25 decks)

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