Training

For many people, the ultimate goal in life is the acquisition of greater wealth and power. As Voltaire famously said, “When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion”. Yet, in spite of this seemingly universal quest, a number of commentators have been surprised to observe that increased levels of prosperity in society do not appear to have delivered the kind of happiness or fulfillment that they seemed to promise. Instead, the never-ending drive to accumulate more and more has been likened to a contagious disease, which can result in sufferers feeling worthless and dissatisfied.

This affliction is popularly described as affluenza, a term coined by Oliver James.

Although many in the world may be in the grip of this condition, it also presents an amazing opportunity for the Christian. During the Summer School, we will look at the causes, conditions and consequences of this global social phenomenon in order to learn more about how we might communicate the gospel message more effectively to a world suffering from affluenza. As Robert McNamara challenges us, the test of this generation “will not be how well you stood up under adversity, but how well you endured prosperity.”