John Cortines and Gregory Baumer. Carson, CA: Rose Publishing. 251 pp. (Paperback).
I sometimes have books sent to me to review not by the authors but by a reader who was impressed with the book.
When that happens (and when it’s not the author’s mother), I can usually expect a winner. This one was no exception.
Let’s get the last part of the title out of the way first: the authors are graduates of Harvard Business School and began the journey that culminated in this book while they were students there. Now we can concentrate on the first — and more important — part. What does God say about money and what is the Christian’s responsibility with regard to money?
The book begins pretty tamely and as expected, with a look at what the Bible has to say about money. The authors note that while there are about 500 verses on prayer and faith, there are more than 2,000 verses on money. They profess amazement that the Bible teaches “a consistent set of lessons about wealth and giving, from Genesis to Revelation.”
I’ll bet your first question is the same as mine: What about tithing? According to the authors, the New Testament does not appear to require giving a tenth of our incomes. Whew! But wait … there’s more, and it doesn’t let us off the hook so easily.
That “more” is what makes this book a life changer. I wish I had a whole page to describe the helpful approach to giving the authors share; it transcends our questions about how much to give and takes us into a whole new attitude toward money. To quote Col. Bill McCrary, who sent the book: “They not only know how to count, they know what counts!” Thanks, Col. McCrary. They sure do.
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Meet the reviewer
Martine Bates Fairbanks, Ed.D., reviews books and movies for The Alabama Baptist. She is a university professor and retired principal. She is a member of Central Baptist Church, Decatur.
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