Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Affluence to Generosity by Ronald J. Sider Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Affluence to Generosity
Book Review: Challenging and Convicting
Summary: 4 Stars
Be prepared to take some reflection time after reading this book! All in all, I found it to be a great book and a very noble one. It is challenging, and even a bit extreme, but Sider has spoken so much of what we need to hear as prosperous, affluent Christians. We focus on so many aspects of the Christian life, but we forget about our responsibility to the poor. We kind of skim right over it in the scriptures. Sider reminds us that God is on the side of the poor, and that our active faith should reflect this truth in the activity and concern of our lives. So often in this society, we are concerned with the security of our future, our 401k, our portfolio, our bank accounts. We think mainly about what we can do to make life more comfortable for our OWN families. SOME Christians, unfortunately, don't look much different. Churches are building multi-million dollar structures, requesting congregations to be generous in their giving because "this building needs to be finished so we can have room to fit in 2,000 more people". I think as Christians we are called to more than this. The body of Christ extends far beyond the church pew and those Christians simply living in our city, state or country. Sider asks the question "how can we remain affluent when 40 billion children died today of starvation?" The book is compelling, challenging, worth the time to read. Be prepared to look within yourself...be prepared to embrace a faith that is ACTIVE, not passive.Book Review: AN AMAZING READ
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is challenging to the lifestyle of a materialistic, get all you can, culture. Not only did it challenge me to think about Sider's ideas, but it has caused me to reexamine my own lifestyle and priorities. A must read for all thoughtful Christians.Book Review: this study changed my life.
Summary: 5 Stars
true, the book makes you feel guilty. but it's factual and realistic. and if you're ready for it, then you should read it. suggestion: read other books alongside this one. (read books that tell you not to help the poor, i dare you.) but i think you just might end up sympathetic to sider, who asserts that we should be helping the less fortunate, and even aids us in discovering productive ways to do it. guilt is not the way to live. but once you tackle it, you can get over it and learn to live responsible to the knowledge you have... and this book is the one to help you with that.Book Review: I gave it a second look..glad I did
Summary: 5 Stars
Believe it or not ten years ago I wasn't all to keen on Ronald Sider. But my views changed for a variety of reasons. First of all since the late 90's the United States has undergone a positive boon financially. Then we became victims of violence and saw firsthand how Christians overall have a deaf ear when it comes to helping those amongst them who are crime victims.Christians as a whole will help drunks, druggies and unwed mothers. But helping caregivers of the ill, or those amongst us who have done nothing wrong to be where they are at, often are overlooked. Now the talk is cheap crowd wont like his books. But I do hope that more of them will be honest as I was and reread what he has to say and start walking the talk. I personally believe in welfare reform and programs that aim to help people help themselves. But I also believe that when hard times hit the yuppies and corporate types that societies thinking on the needy change big time.
Book Review: WARNING!
Summary: 5 Stars
Warning: This book will change your life! Was it not our Lord who said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth" (Matthew 6:19). And yet this is eactly what the majority of people who call themselves His followers do. Almost every Christian I know spends 90% of their time making life as comfortable as possible for themselves (and looking good while doing it). Those who chose to live according to the Gospel are the minority among those who call themselves Christians.As far as the person below who critized Mr. Sider for exhorting us to be willing to lose even our souls for the sake of nonbelievers, have you not read the scriptures? St. Paul said, "For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel." (Romans 9:3-4a) Here Paul is teaching EXACTLY what Mr. Sider teaches in his book. And if we should be willing to lose our souls for the lost, how much more our luxury homes and SUV's!