Book Review: God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School” by John Cortines and Gregory Baumer

How did I get this book?

A reader sent it to me! A few months ago, I did a review on a book called: “The Five Wealth Secrets” and it wasn’t glowing. So, my friend Dick Murdock sent me a copy of this book and told me that it was much, much better.

I love free books! If you would like to send me one, I’d like to read it and then post a review of what I thought.

Years ago, I listened to a bible project.com podcast where John interviewed these guys. This was before the book. Their story was compelling. I was delighted at the opportunity to read it.

What is it about?

The title gives so many of these books away.

John and Gregory met at Harvard Business School. Somehow they also took some theological studies while they were there. This project became their school project.

They have done a lot of research on how Christians approach money. They tell their own stories and are quite forthright with them including their numbers. In addition, they tell some very interesting stories of many other Christians they met along the way.

Through their research, and in the comparisons they make with what else is out there for guiding Christians, they make some recommendations at every income level in how to practically work out the kingdom of God in regards to finances.

There’s no ideas on how to make money. But, there’s lots of ideas on how to think about your life, your legacy, your investments, your career, your work, your charity, your families needs and what makes for a fulfilling life.

In that regard, it’s excellent.

What did I think?

A person in the next higher income bracket than mine would get a lot out of this book. Having money can be a bigger problem than not having money and the authors have done a thorough job in delving into all the topics and questions that a Christian with money would wrestle with.

The biggest takeaway, is the concept of establishing what your family needs to live and thrive. That number is determined not only for yearly cash flow, but also when it comes to net worth. Having those numbers, liberates a person from the treadmill of earning and hoarding. It gives them the option of investing the remaining resources into worthwhile, world-changing, meaningful initiatives. It’s the stuff that makes life worth living.

And, we don’t talk about that stuff at church at all.

Conclusion:

If you’re a pastor or ministry leader, at some point, you’ll want to read this book. You’ll come across people that have lots of wealth and no idea how to manage it or what to do with it, or even how to think about it in Christian terms. This will help you in discipleship.

If you’re a person that is earning over 100k/year as a family, or someone that has a net worth over 500k, this is a book you’ll want to read. Jesus said: “you cannot serve both God and Money.” You’ll have to decide. And, this book, will help you think through all the questions to make wise and godly decisions about the blessings God has given you.