Contact: Kristin Brown, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, 703-962-7877

MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 23, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Is it possible to be wealthy and a Christian? For years, many wealthy people within the church have wrestled with this question, feeling a deep sense of shame for all that they have. But what if there was another way to look at wealth?

In a new Institute for Faith, Work & Economics (IFWE) booklet called Wholehearted: A Biblical Look at the Greatest Commandment & Personal Wealth, Dr. Scott Redd addresses the issues of personal wealth by taking a closer look at one of the more famous passages Deuteronomy 6:5, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." Redd believes that through a deeper understanding and better personal application of this commandment, we as Christians will know how to better steward all that the Lord has given us.

In an interview on today's IFWE blog, Redd said that many Christians take one of two extremes. "On the one hand, many Christians think of their wealth as somehow separate from their faith and employ a consumeristic approach," Redd said. "On the other hand, many other Christians have this feeling that wealth is morally evil. Both approaches rob us of the joy of having and deploying our wealth to the glory of God." Read the full interview with Scott Redd.

In the foreword to Wholehearted, IFWE's vice president of theological initiatives Art Lindsley hits on the core tension of Redd's booklet, "Wealth is both a gift and a challenge – a gift from God (if obtained justly) and a challenge because we can wrongly place it at the center of our lives in various ways."

Scott Redd is the president and associate professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., as well as an ordained minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

(LIMITED TIME OFFER!) Download a free copy of Wholehearted: A Biblical Look at the Greatest Commandment and Personal Wealth today! Both paperback and digital versions are available in the IFWE bookstore. Contact info@tifwe.org for bulk order pricing.

The Institute for Faith, Work & Economics (IFWE) is a Christian research organization committed to advancing biblical and economic principles that help individuals find fulfillment in their work and contribute to a free and flourishing society.