POVERTY AND WEALTH: A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

Poverty and human deprivation have been recognized as the most central challenges to the development of human society ever since the dawn of history. Alongside them is the issue of wealth, its creation, possession, distribution and our attitude towards it. Poverty is considered a major constraint to any form of development of human beings. The ways and means of eradicating it are now intensely studied and researched in several academic disciplines like economics, politics, history, sociology, religion, theology, ethics and even law. Tremendous amounts of resources and time have been spent on this problem by both governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions for several generations. Yet today (2001), there are more human beings suffering chronic deprivation than ever in history. Recent estimates show that nearly half the world's population, about three billion people, live on less than two dollars a day. Most of these are destitute, trapped in absolute poverty. All over the world, disparities between the rich and the poor even in the wealthiest of nations are rising sharply. Fewer people are becoming increasingly successful and wealthy while a disproportionately large population is becoming even poorer. Ironically, all this is happening in a world that God has blessed with abundance, enough to allow every living soul on earth have a descent and comfortable life. This is the problem this essay endeavors to address. Why is there poverty, suffering and hunger in a bountiful world? Do Christians have any responsibility in the face of such a situation in our world? What role or approach should Christian teachers emphasize as they prepare students, to face poverty, hunger and suffering in a bountiful world? Is the knowledge of the theory and practice of economics sufficient preparation to deal with this challenging social problem? These are the leading questions that this essay endeavors to shade some light on. Though poverty is a relative concept, it is a multidimensional problem, encompassing not only the material aspects of human life but also its social, physical, mental and spiritual dimensions. The purpose of this essay is threefold: Firstly, to create an understanding of the concept of poverty and wealth in both the economic and Biblical-Christian perspective by analyzing the multiple dimensions of their definitions, causes and measurements. Secondly, to analyze the ethics of economics, the discipline whose jargon has largely influenced and provided the basis of the many contemporary approaches to the problem of poverty and the creation of wealth. Thirdly, to present the biblical-Christian world-view of the concepts of poverty and wealth as the basis for integrating faith and learning of economics and of any subject dealing with these concepts.