Table Of Content

GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR: A THEOLOGY OF PREACHING TO THE RICH A THESIS-PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY PREACHING TO CULTURE AND CULTURES BY NATHAN HART MAY 2017 Copyright © 2017 by Nathan Hart. All Rights Reserved. To Nancy: For whom I preach the gospel and from whom I have come to truly understand it. Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. — D.T. Niles CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .....................................................................................vi PREFACE ..................................................................................................................vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................ix ABSTRACT ...............................................................................................................x Chapters 1. THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING ..........................................................1 2. BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS .................................21 3. LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................63 4. PROJECT DESIGN AND RESEARCH RESULTS .....................................104 5. OUTCOMES AND CONCLUSIONS ...........................................................129 Appendix A. PSALM 73 TRANSFORMATIONS ..............................................................160 B. “RICHARD” FULL IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION .............161 C. “MARY” FULL IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION ...................173 D. CLASS PARTICIPANTS’ RESPONSES TRANSCRIPTION .....................180 E. FULL SURVEY RESULTS ............................................................................187 F. SERMON TRANSCRIPT: “WHO NEEDS JESUS?” ....................................202 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................208 VITA ..........................................................................................................................213 v ILLUSTRATIONS Figures Figure 1: U.S.A. Median Household Income ............................................................18 Figure 2: Global Median Household Income .............................................................18 Tables Table 1: Luke 6 and Matthew 5 Parallel ....................................................................33 Table 2: Types of Poverty in Luke 18 and 19 ............................................................35 Table 3: Descriptions of Zacchaeus ..........................................................................39 Table 4: The Rich Ruler’s Five Commandments ......................................................44 Table 5: Chapter Three Organization ........................................................................63 Table 6: Syndromes of Indulgence ............................................................................81 Table 7: Preacher as Insider and Outsider .................................................................102 Table 8: Atheist vs. Christian Perspectives ................................................................114 Table 9: “There is nothing on earth I desire more than God.” ...................................126 vi PREFACE I was standing on the water’s edge on Martha’s Vineyard, looking westward toward an orange and pink sunset stretching across the sky above the Long Island Sound. It was my first time on the small vacation island located a few nautical miles off the coast of Massachusetts. I was there with some colleagues who belonged to a Christian organization called FOCUS, which ministers specifically to families whose children attend private schools along the East Coast. They had recently hired me to run their New York City chapter, and we had gathered for a staff meeting at FO- CUS’s picturesque 40-acre property on the island. As I stood on that beach, small waves gently swirling around my ankles, I was trying to wrap my mind around my new calling. Everything I had known about being a minister was being turned up- side-down. I had always thought of ministry as a means of helping helpless people. Disenfranchised people. Poor people. Every mission trip I had participated in was designed to serve those who were financially poorer than I was. I had grown up in the middle class, in the Midwest, in the middle of a Christian community. When I considered my calling to be a pastor, I always imagined it would be like a lifelong mission trip in which I would bring my privilege and resources to those who have neither. Standing on that scenic beach, I wondered if I was in the wrong place. The shoreline of Martha’s Vineyard is lined with multimillion-dollar vacation homes be- longing to people who are much, much wealthier than I was. As I stood there, I re- ceived help in understanding my predicament from the man standing next to me. Da- vid was one of my new colleagues at FOCUS, and he worked as an evangelist vii amongst students attending prestigious boarding schools in New England, organizing on-campus Bible studies for teenagers who drive Maserati sports cars or have trust funds bigger than my parents’ net worth. I looked at David, his face reflecting the radiant colors of the sunset above us, and expressed to him that I was feeling conflict- ed. I said something like, “How can I bring the gospel, which Jesus said is ‘good news to the poor,’ to these people?” David’s answer to my question would become the genesis of this thesis-project. He turned to me and said, “Jesus said he was good news to the poor. But how do you know he meant only the financially poor? As a minister of the gospel, your job is to arrive in your mission field—whatever that place may be—and try to figure out what the specific poverty there is.” Then, gesturing toward the luxurious houses along the shoreline, he said, “These people aren’t financially poor, but they have other forms of poverty. Try to find out what those are, and bring the good news to them.” After saying this, David casually walked more deeply into the waves, dived into the water, and swam away. I stood there; beholding the sunset and beginning a journey that would help me understand the unique mission field in which God had placed me. That was ten years ago, and I continue my journey with this project. viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To Chuck Davis for nudging me to pursue this Doctorate of Ministry, and for model- ing bold gospel proclamation and leadership. To Jacky Gatliff for being an almost daily sounding board for my good and bad ideas. To the congregation at Stanwich Church for supporting me, for engaging with the ma- terial in meaningful ways, and for giving me Spirit-guided and honest feedback. To my parents who saw the ember of my calling early and helped fan it into flame. To Riley and Evangeline for teaching me about faith every day. ix ABSTRACT The purpose of this thesis-project is to help preachers understand how to communicate the gospel—defined by Jesus as “good news to the poor”—to people who are materially wealthy. It examines others’ work on this subject, original research, and Biblical texts. Biblical concepts are placed into conversation with con- temporary wealthy Christians using a broad survey, a group participation class, and two in-depth interviews: one with a materially wealthy man and one with a materially poor woman. The thesis-project concludes with a theological framework for preachers in materially wealthy contexts to help them understand their message as gospel communicators. x