Sell All That You Have (?) | Wealth, Poverty, and the Christian Tradition

‘Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor.’ (Matt. 19:21, paraphrase) These words, directed by Jesus toward a Rich Young Ruler asking what he must do to inherit eternal life, have challenged Christians across centuries when asking questions about poverty, wealth, and the Christian life. Christians continue to ask - what are faithful approaches to wealth and poverty today? Is Jesus really calling the wealthy to sell all they have? Does God have a preferential option for the poor? Is wealth an outcome of faith, an obstacle to faith, or something else entirely? We’ll approach these questions through a careful exploration of the Scriptures, church tradition, and modern perspectives on wealth and poverty.

In th ...