Today, we are facing the most significant moral and theological dilemma of our time as we confront the problem of wealth. Our current dominant methods of wealth creation continue to increase the wealth gap in the United States and between and among nations around the globe. According to the 2010 US Census, 46.2 million people in the U.S. live in poverty; the highest number since poverty estimates have been published. U.S. consumption of energy, goods, and natural resources is out of balance with the needs of other people around the world and threatens the survival of our planet. Those who live in poverty become the subjects of study when the problem is actually wealth and the way we create it.
People of faith experience a sense of moral incoherence as they try to live out their faith in a society where money and creation of wealth have become such dominant goods. Despite these problems, religious leaders too often look to economic models to find solutions to these problems.

What promise does reframing the discussion from a theological perspective have for enabling us to find alternative visions for what it means to live well and to confront the wealth divide? Theological reflection enables us to discover and explore alternative ways of living and calls us to consider that the way we create wealth matters to people, to the earth, and to God.

This program is presented as part of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary’s Edwards-Presler Lectures on Peace, Justice and Mission in partnership with the Center for Interfaith Relations Festival of Faiths 2013 Fall Forums.