The Whole Life Offering: Christianity as Philanthropy

Were Christianity to select a single word to describe the breadth and depth of the relationship between God and human beings, “philanthropic”—according to the Apostle Paul in Titus 3:4—would be the perfect choice. In The Whole Life Offering: Christianity as Philanthropy, the Rev. Eric Foley proposes philanthropy as the Bible’s preferred method for how Christians are to understand and experience the expansiveness of God’s love—and how they themselves are to grow to fullness in Christ. Firmly rooted in Scripture and two millennia of biblical Christian wisdom, The Whole Life Offering is a practical and detailed manual for personal and corporate discipleship and philanthropy. It describes the ten “Works of Mercy,” or causes in which Christ commends all Christians to be personally and directly involved, and the seven “Works of Piety,” or interior spiritual disciplines in which those Works of Mercy must be grounded. Works of Mercy not rooted in Works of Piety lack power. Works of Piety not issuing forth in Works of Mercy lack impact. The Whole Life Offering is a unique ancient-modern formulation of hearing and doing the Word as the Holy Spirit-empowered path toward full maturity in Christ. It is one part discipleship manual, one part sourcebook of Scripture and readings across Christian history, and one part impressively researched treatise on how philanthropy and Christianity can and must be reunited in order for each to be true to its roots and effective in achieving its mission.