On not storing up for ourselves treasures on earth.

December 30, 2007 6:25 PM

Please recommend some books to me that deal with simplifying life and combating materialism from a Christian perspective. I'm looking for both modern writings as well as classics.

I'm a United Methodist pastor who is about to teach a class (very) loosely based on Albert Y. Hsu's The Suburban Christian: Finding Spiritual Vitality in the Land of Plenty. It's a pretty good book, but it's more of a geography/demographics book than a spiritual one.

This class will be comprised of mainly theiry-somethings with young children living in pretty affluent suburbs. Some have been practicing Christians for a long time, others for a short time. We are a moderate to liberal United Methodist congregation. However, I believe that everyone (including me) could benefit from some basic (yet oft forgotten) Christian spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, fasting, giving things away, and simplifying.

Thanks for your help.

posted by 4ster to Religion & Philosophy (14 answers total)

I'm sure you've heard of Blue like Jazz, but the rewrite of Donald Miller's first book Through Painted Deserts deals with the author's own journey away from Texas suburbs and learning more about his faith.

Anything by Miller is excellent, but this one seems relevant to your class.
posted by Pants! at 6:33 PM on December 30, 2007 [1 favorite]

Life of Pi
posted by rockhopper at 6:47 PM on December 30, 2007

Wendell Berry
posted by idle at 7:25 PM on December 30, 2007

A program called JustFaith, lasting 30 weeks, was started in the Catholic Church but has now spilled over to several other denominations. The reading list suggested by JustFaith seems to be what you are seeking:

Rich christians in an age of hunger by Ronald J. Sider

Compassion-a reflection on the christian life by Henri Nouwen, Donald Mcneill, and Douglas Morrison

How much is enough? by Arthur Simon

Amazing grace by Jonathan Kozol

Rising to common ground by Danny Duncan Collum

Beyond guilt-christian response to suffering by George S. Johnson

There are other books but since I'm only on week 12, I do not have the titles yet. Some of the books I found very challenging since the author holds a traditional view of literal interpretation of the Bible. Other authors are much more congenial to the metaphorical view of the Bible I hold. All of them attempt to reconcile a prosperous lifestyle to the message of the Sermon on the Mount.

The program also has relevant videos and "border crossing" hands on experiences from affluence to the poverty around you.
posted by francesca too at 7:37 PM on December 30, 2007 [1 favorite]

As materialism is generally a religious taboo, I recommend The Gift by Lewis Hyde. I'd also explore an open heart approach too tho on those disciplines...."combating materialism" is fairly closed fist in this context.

For example, when fasting, it can be seen that is not soley to "reject or avoid" food, but rather accept only what is given as a means of a blessing. (eg. A typical fast will go for days without food, as a testiment of relieving oneself of wants or desires, but will still involve eating if it is a need or is in the form of a gift from another...tough to explain it on a forum however I hope the link helps).
posted by samsara at 7:38 PM on December 30, 2007

Bill McKibben is a Christian, active in his church and writes about ecology topics often. He wrote a great book called Hundred Dollar Holiday that talks about his community's decision to all work together towards a more joyous Christmas season by limiting the amount of money they spent and focusing on the spirit of the Season. It's not super religious -- it will appeal to people with strong religious ties as well as looser ones -- but the Christian message (the ones that I think about as a non-Christian: love thy neighbor, etc) come through loud and clear.

Working through their local churches, McKibben and his colleagues found that people were hungry for a more joyful Christmas season. For many, trying to limit the amount of money they spent at Christmas to about a hundred dollars per family, was a real spur to their creativity—and a real anchor against the relentless onslaught of commercials and catalogs that try to say Christmas is only Christmas if it comes from a store.

McKibben shows how the store-bought Christmas developed and how out of tune it is with our current lives, when we're really eager for family fellowship for community involvement, for contact with the natural world, and also for the blessed silence and peace that the season should offer. McKibben shows us how to return to a simpler and more enjoyable holiday.

I also suggest Wendell Berry as idle says. I like his Thoughts in the Presence of Fear or amybe something from Conserving Communities.
posted by jessamyn at 7:40 PM on December 30, 2007

You need to check out Richard Foster, specifically, Freedom of Simplicity.

also, 2nd Rich Christians in a world of hunger
posted by jpdoane at 8:22 PM on December 30, 2007

A few oldies-but-goodies recommended by a Methodist minister now in his 80s:
The Wounded Healer (Henri Nouwen - he also recommended Reaching Out by Nouwen)
A Testament of Devotion (Thomas R. Kelly)
posted by salvia at 9:00 PM on December 30, 2007

I second "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel and would add "How to Find Your Mission in Life" by Richard N. Bolles
posted by dov at 10:24 PM on December 30, 2007

Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn is a classic. Some friends and I studied this several years ago and it was powerful.
posted by davcoo at 2:26 AM on December 31, 2007

"Happy are you poor: the simple life and spiritual freedom" by Thomas Dubay (2nd ed. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2003). This is an excellent book on both the theology and the practicalities of poverty.
Dubay is one of the outstanding Catholic spiritual writers working today.

I also have "Poor Therefore Rich: Carthusian Novice Conferences" by "A Carthusian" (Cistercian studies #184. Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1999). A series of short talks on various aspects of poverty.

In both these books there are short chapters that could be used as reading assignments (some of the material focusing on specifically Catholic concerns and the lives of the Saints might raise as many questions as it answers.). But they'd definitely be useful to YOU to inform your thinking.
posted by Jahaza at 5:49 AM on December 31, 2007

If you'd like lots of practical ideas and tips from a Mennonite perspective, I recommend Living More with Less. It includes tips from many people, including people with experience living abroad, as well as quotes that emphasize the moral reasons to simplify.
posted by PatoPata at 8:22 AM on December 31, 2007

I recommend the More With Less Cookbook; haven't (yet) read Living More with Less. It puts simple living into practice.

A Quaker Book of Wisdom: Life Lessons In Simplicity, Service, And Common Sense
posted by theora55 at 8:15 AM on January 1, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks everyone for these great suggestions, and samsara is correct about it sounding "tight fisted." I was typing in a hurry and didn't choose my words well.

I thought I would just add to the list Death by Suburb by David Goetz, which I'm finding helpful as well.
posted by 4ster at 9:22 AM on January 2, 2008