Book Reviews by Betsy

resources and reviews

Full Disclosure on the Bible and Financial Giving

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | January 8, 2014

Herb Miller, nationally known author of the “Consecration Sunday” annual stewardship program and syndicated columnist, now has gone back to the source, giving us a much-needed resource: Full Disclosure: Everything the Bible Says About Financial Giving (Discipleship Resources, 2003). This book is not meant primarily for the academic student, but rather for someone who wants…

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Scripture Texts in “Enough” Program Guide

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | January 8, 2014

6 Key Financial Principles: 1. 2 Cor. 9:6-7 – Pay tithe and offerings first 2. Prov. 27:23f – Create budget & track expenses 3. Mt. 6:19-33 – simplify your lifestyle / live below your means 4. 1 Tim. 6:9-12 – Set up an emergency fund now 5. Prov. 22:7 – Pay off credit cards; use…

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A Spirituality of Fundraising

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | January 15, 2011

Written 2/15/2011 Okay, I admit it: I’ve been using the term “fundraising” for everything I don’t like about many secular financial appeal campaigns: lack of theological grounding, emotional manipulation, focus on the money, disregard for the donor as a person, and mechanistic gimmicks. But Henri Nouwen, author, Catholic priest, spiritual mentor, and model for so…

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The Power of Enough

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | December 7, 2010

As we enter Thanksgiving and the gift-buying days leading up to Christmas, now is a great time to talk about what is enough. According to the consumer version of this season (in the U.S., at least), excess becomes our expectation, even our norm: excess food, excess buying, excess entertainment and activity. “Enough” is a word…

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Enough: Discovering Joy, Simplicity, Generosity

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | November 29, 2010

In an intriguing article from Luther Seminary’s e-newsletter, Stewardship for the 21st Century, Linda Rozumalski writes about “the theology of enough.” Practicing this theology counteracts the attitude of acquisition, she says, and breaks the illusion that we own and control our lives and the things that we have. One way to develop this “theology of…

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