Jason Byassee in Christian Century: A crusade against consumer debt

Posted by Kendall Harmon

Heather from Oregon sounds like a born-again woman, financially speaking. "I finally got everything paid off this spring. . . . No more credit cards, no more student loan! I feel so good, so adult, and so proud of myself." She thanks her deliverer, radio personality and anticredit crusader Dave Ramsey, for freeing her from bondage to consumer debt, and he published her note at daveramsey.com as the testimony of another satisfied customer.

Ramsey is a tough-talking, quick-witted evangelical radio personality out of Nashville whose ability to offer paternalistic financial advice and to turn a phrase has earned him millions of listeners, both religious and secular. The Financial Peace University, a spinoff of his radio program, offers curricula for church groups. His 13-week seminar promises to help the average family reduce debt by $5,300 and save $2,700, according to the marketing materials on his Web site.

Those savings presumably make for more money in the church's offering plate. A spokesperson for Crown Financial Ministries, headquartered in Gainesville, Georgia, told the Dallas Morning News that graduates of Crown's small-group study increase their giving to the church by more than 60 percent. What church wouldn't pay the $289 study fee and ask for $89 from each participant in return for the sort of joy that gushes from Heather from Oregon, or from her pastor?

Ramsey's financial advice is tied to an evangelical Christian message....

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Religion & Culture • * Economics, Politics • Economy • * Theology • Ethics / Moral Theology

5 Comments
Posted August 21, 2007 at 3:19 pm [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Philip Snyder (Dallas) wrote:

We don’t live a materialist society any more.  We live in a utilitarian/consumerist society where all that matters is how useful something is to me and where we want what we want when we want it.

I am a believer in Capitalism as an economic system, but unless the populace has the virtues of delayed gratification and a sense of value of a thing, that capitalist system will turn rampant consumerist (such as you see today in America, Canada, and Europe).  We need to get our spiritual and emotional houses in order and to make money our servant rather than our master.

YBIC,
Phil Snyder

August 21, 4:04 pm | [comment link]
2. Sarah wrote:

One of the things I like about these folks is the independence from other people’s opinions about what one should own.

In this way, people can really move toward freedom from some of the consumerism and materialism that we have in the US.

August 21, 4:18 pm | [comment link]
3. Br. Michael wrote:

Maybe the OT idea that everything comes from God and it’s really not ours and the idea of a jubilee year is relevant after all.  I’m not holding my breath.

I mean what does God know that we don’t!

August 21, 7:30 pm | [comment link]
4. CharlesB wrote:

I really like Dave Ramsey.  I have a couple of his books and listen to his talk-radio program once in a while.  Another person espousing this message, including Christian and biblical perspectives, is Mary Hunt.  If you have any difficulties with debt, I highly recommend both of them.

August 22, 4:16 am | [comment link]
5. PadreWayne wrote:

Yikes, I can’t believe I agree with four commenters at T19!  grin Now that’s a happy way to start a morning! Yes, Dave is an inspiration—I’ve listened to him off-and-on on the radio and never fail to get one or two good ideas from him. And to think: That his commendation of living debt-free (or at least aiming for it) is faith based! Now that makes sense to me!

Blessings, all.

August 22, 8:54 am | [comment link]
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