Christian History Magazine has gained a reputation for its “single-theme” coverage of personalities and groups in church history. But with the magazine you hold in your hands, we are trying something new. We are centering, not on a person or group, but on a topic—money.

Wherever we turn, we see the modern church grappling with the issue of money and how it relates to faith in Christ. It is imperative that we take the long view on this: What can we learn from the wisdom—and folly—of the church through the ages?

The more we researched this theme, the more good material we found. Everybody in church history, it seems, has expounded on money at one time or another. We found the various positions intriguing and instructive, but there was just too much to fit in one issue. So we decided to take another approach. We will follow up next year with “Money—Part 2.”

One great benefit of the two-part approach is that it allows us to get your feedback. With most single-theme issues, it’s like opening a door, throwing out a bucket of information, and slamming the door shut. But this way, we get to hold the door open throughout the next few months. You readers and we editors can do some good thinking and talking in the meantime. We plan to include a major article in part 2 next spring summarizing what you have to say.

We extend our thanks to Dr. Charles White of Spring Arbor College, who first proposed this special issue and did the bulk of the preparation on it. Already in the works is our second topical study, a multi-part series on women in church history. In the near future we will be asking for your comments on that subject as well. Any strong convictions you wish to express now on the subject of women in the history of the church should be sent to our editorial office address.

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