God or Mammon: The Critical Issue Confronting World Christianity

The rise of neo-liberalism and globalization has hardened the capitalist worldview in such a way that it has taken on an idolatrous nature for Christianity in the West. At this crucial point in time, David Smith prophetically confronts this issue and invites Christians to re-examine their allegiances. Using Jesus's warning that the worship of God and Mammon are incompatible as a lens, Smith traces the tension of this decision from the Mosaic revolution, through the history of biblical Israel and into the New Testament. He provides a historical survey of movements in Christianity that emerged in the constant struggle to counter the imperial church's conformity to a materialistic culture. Finally, he examines the modern world's shift toward an economistic culture, which has abandoned social values and needs. Christianity, which has become a global movement with its heartlands across the southern hemisphere, now faces the challenge and opportunity of a world in deepening crisis. In this timely and important book, Smith encourages us all to join in the quest for an alternative society that is shaped by kingdom values.

About the Author :
DAVID W. SMITH spent eleven years as a pastor in the heart of Cambridge, UK, until he sailed to Africa with his young family in a Nigerian cargo ship to work in the rainforest and burgeoning cities of Africa. After returning to the UK with a host of questions, he got a PhD in secularization and evangelicalism from the University of Aberdeen, UK. He later spent time in various leadership roles at theological institutions across the UK, where he made a significant contribution to the field of missiology.

Review :
David Smith's heart is to help Christians think self-critically about what it means to live faithfully today within the destructive barrenness of a capitalist world. Yet he does this without resorting to simple dichotomies or easy answers. He writes with compassion and humility, giving us a fresh vision of the beautiful yet profoundly radical nature of the Christian faith. Patrick Mitchel, PhD Senior Lecturer in Theology, Irish Bible Institute, Dublin Through careful exegesis of the biblical text and of Christian history, Smith shows how Mammon has manifested itself over time, while also describing the extraordinary and unexpected ways in which God has called his people to live as salt and light in the face of this recurring challenge. This is, quite simply, one of the most important books I have ever read. Edwin Arthur, PhD Former CEO, Wycliffe Bible Translators, UK Smith demonstrates both intellectual honesty and moral courage in reflecting on the inexorable growth of the worship of Mammon, while issuing an uncompromising call to world Christianity to display the justice, mercy and love which flows from the worship of the living God. Gaofeng Meng, PhD Lecturer in Law, SOAS University of London, UK