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Tithing: Test Me in This

by Douglas Leblanc, Phyllis A. Tickle (Foreword)

2.77 of 5 stars 2.77 · rating details · 31 ratings · 15 reviews

Stories of people who live a generous and happy life (and why you'll want to live that way too).

Journalist Douglas LeBlanc travels the nation to talk with believers whose lives have been enriched by the ancient spiritual discipline of tithing. He discovers people along the way who do not understand the practice as an onerous law but as God's call to a life of generosity an...more

Hardcover, 156 pages

Published February 1st 2010 by Thomas Nelson Publishers

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Feb 05, 2011 J.E. Jr. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: church-life

I recently read through Douglas Leblanc's book, Tithing: test me in this from Thomas Nelson’s Ancient Practices series. Overall, I liked the book, and found it to be an easy, engaging read.

Leblanc, a journalist, filled the book with interviews he conducted with people representing a wide swath of the Judeo-Christian faith traditions (and it's important that I emphasize traditions, plural, there because Leblanc's list of interviewees includes a Rabbi as well as representatives from nearly every p...more I recently read through Douglas Leblanc's book, Tithing: test me in this from Thomas Nelson’s Ancient Practices series. Overall, I liked the book, and found it to be an easy, engaging read.

Leblanc, a journalist, filled the book with interviews he conducted with people representing a wide swath of the Judeo-Christian faith traditions (and it's important that I emphasize traditions, plural, there because Leblanc's list of interviewees includes a Rabbi as well as representatives from nearly every point on the spectrum of Christianity, not merely or even mainly the evangelical "camp"). All of the interviewees speak favorably on the topic of tithing, sometimes offering reflections on the words of Scripture, in other times presenting testimony of their own experience.

The interviews are well-presented, offering a brief introduction to the interviewee and his/her background, as well as comments about goings-on surrounding and even during the interview. They felt more like magazine articles with a common theme than chapters in a book-- indeed, any given chapter could easily have been in Christianity Today or perhaps even the New York Times, if the Times would willingly carry a piece so openly acknowledging the validity of a biblical teaching.

Somewhat because of this journalistic approach to the topic and the various perspectives on it, the book struggles to offer any didactic value. If you're seeking biblical insight into why a Christian might consider tithing, or for that matter any further Scriptural discussion on giving, you'll be disappointed in this book. What little teaching on tithing it does present is indirect and more a matter of inference than exposition.

This fact leads me to question whether I have been asking more of this series, Thomas Nelson’s Ancient Practices titles, than I ought. My first introduction to the series was with Scot McKnight's excellent Fasting, and while offered just enough first and third-person accounts to enrich his explanations, there was also a satisfying amount of instruction from Scripture and from other historical sources (like the Church Fathers). The second title I read in the series, Joan Chittister’s The Liturgical Year, was a great disappointment-- both because of a theologically-liberal approach to anything and everything related to the Bible, Christianity, and the Church, and because of the fact that the book was very little more than just a recounting of experiences and personal testimonies.

I have been assuming that Chittister's exchange of substance for sentiment was surely anomalous-- atypical of a series devoted the Ancient Practices, which are so firmly grounded in Scripture. Having read a third title, however, I wonder if I've mistaken the aim of the series; maybe McKnight's title is the anomaly. If that is so, it's a shame, and the series should be re-titled the Ancient Experiences.

This is ultimately what leads to my doubt in the real value of this title. All of the interviews are well-written, the stories are interesting, and the subjects remarkable in their experiences. But much of what we are told is only marginally related to the subject of tithing. It seems the thesis of the book is, "look at all of these people that God has blessed wonderfully, often in spite of great financial trial-- and look! They all tithe."

We live in a time when experiences count a great deal, and theology divorced from "story" is questionable in its authenticity. The danger is in making it more about the story than the theology; in this case, I wonder if Leblanc didn't lose his way.(less)

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May 29, 2012 Latonya rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is part of the Ancient Practices Series which is a set of eight books that explore eight different disciplines of faith. The Author explores the particular topic of tithing through the telling of stores about people who practice this discipline. Each person told about are from different spiritual, social, and economic backgrounds. Some stories are from the Author's personal knowledge and interaction with the person or interviewed. While there are persons introduced that are part of tho...more This book is part of the Ancient Practices Series which is a set of eight books that explore eight different disciplines of faith. The Author explores the particular topic of tithing through the telling of stores about people who practice this discipline. Each person told about are from different spiritual, social, and economic backgrounds. Some stories are from the Author's personal knowledge and interaction with the person or interviewed. While there are persons introduced that are part of those person's circle (i.e. a parishioner, or spouse or background on family history of those interviewed). There is a study-guide included for each chapter at the back of the book. I picked this book to read because frankly it is a topic that I rarely hear about in the pulpit these days. The stories shared by the author opened my eyes to thoughts and discussions about tithing. It's more than a lecture and a call to open up the checkbook. It's all about a call to open up the purse-strings of one's heart. There are some debates about a certain portion being given as mentioned in the Old Testament and the idea of "grace" bringing in an age of more service-orientated tithe. In the end I have to admit that i was pre-disposed to dislike the book, but the actual reading of it change my mind! The stories were warm and engaging and tackled the information in a way that a regular person can understand without seeking a Masters degree in Theology. I have a firmer grip and understanding of the discipline of tithing and why I should practice it for myself. I truly enjoyed this book and plan to look for more books in this series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through a book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”(less)

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Sep 14, 2011 Dana Rongione rated it 2 of 5 stars

"Tithing" is part of the Ancient Practices Series written by Douglas Leblanc. In the book, he tells the stories of several families whose lives were changed as a result of their decision to tithe. The key verse he uses is found in Malachi 3:10 and says, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Cs rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mixed feelings about this book. The book is based on personal stories the author gathers on tithing, not so much the why or reason behind it, although some of the stories explain the biblical and theological basis for tithing. It certainly comes through that tithing is a spiritual discipline. It certainly is the minimum that is expected of us from a biblical perspective.

Some of the stories resonated with me. Other stories left me wondering "why exactly are they tithing?" as I didn't see a spiri...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Ben Zajdel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tithing is an excellent book in the Ancient Practices series. Written by journalist Douglas Leblanc, it is a series of interviews with several different Christians regarding their perspectives on tithing. Leblanc has a talent for extracting a great story from his interviews, and interjects thought-provoking commentary in just the right spots.

Some of his subjects are Randy Alcorn, Ron Sider, and Ed Bacon. Most of his subjects relate their history of tithing and why they chose to do it. What is in...more

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Feb 14, 2010 J.D. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I recently joined a program at booksneeze.com, which is run by Thomas Nelson Publishers, that allows you to receive and review books before they are officially released in the hopes of getting out the word of certain books. This is my first foray in this venture, and it is a book on quite the interesting topic: tithing.

Certainly tithing is one of those disciplines that is not given much attention or is given too much attention/focus. I was extremely curious to hear someone elaborate on this idea...more I recently joined a program at booksneeze.com, which is run by Thomas Nelson Publishers, that allows you to receive and review books before they are officially released in the hopes of getting out the word of certain books. This is my first foray in this venture, and it is a book on quite the interesting topic: tithing.

Certainly tithing is one of those disciplines that is not given much attention or is given too much attention/focus. I was extremely curious to hear someone elaborate on this idea more and provide a legitimate biblical foundation for it as opposed to a rough gleaning of surface-level reading of Scripture and using that to mandate the general 10% that is suggested/"required." Unfortunately(initially), this is not what LeBlanc intended in writing this book, and he spells that out very clearly in his introduction. Instead, he sought out different folks that he had encountered throughout his life who seemed to emulate the true spirit of what tithing and generosity defined for him. Initially, it seemed as if he was almost skirting the issue and passing the responsibility, but from these stories of people from fairly similar perspectives we are essentially given an implicit definition of what tithing is through their common threads.

My main critique of his work is that in showing these different stories, he seems to indicate that because these people were faithful(beyond standards of normal giving) they were likewise blessed in ways beyond the standard by God. I can only imagine someone who has been a faithful tither their entire life reading this and wondering when their supposed payback would be. Our intent in giving to God and his body should not be done in the hopes of gaining "interest" in these investments, but is a part of a life lived in covenant with the most faithful God.

With that said, however, it is also crucial to speak to the positive on this book because overall it was a positive experience. There are familiar names in this book(Frederica Mathewes-Green, Ron and Arbutus Sider, and Randy Alcorn) and also names of people that might otherwise go unnoticed generally(at least in this Earth's current state). Most stories seek to dispel the notion that tithing is done in legalism(seen to be the general excuse for those who refuse to tithe), but rather something that is natural and done without thinking. Two major ideas in this book that are imperative in this whole conversation are that the idea of using our resources goes beyond money and the idea of claim and ownership that is common to our western understanding of money.

LeBlanc spends large amounts of time with each person interviewed trying to get a better understanding of what tithing all our resources looks like. He is clear that we are responsible to share not only our money with our community, but also are gifts, time, and energy. In doing this, he is reshaping the way we think of doing with "our time" and "our money" and rather what we are doing with what God has given us and is truly the owner and originator of. Through these remarkable stories, we find these people that have done much in the way of initiating God's kingdom he has entrusted to us rather than simply waiting for Him to do it upon His return. For a book on tithing, there is an equal share of space given to the other work these people have done as they have committed to the faithful life and ALL aspects that go with it.

Overall, I give this book three out of five stars. If you enjoy and learn more from stories, this is probably the book for you. It is short(152 pages) and very readable. I was really seeking for a book that was going to do some solid exegesis on the different texts to see the import of the main verses used in conjunction with tithing amongst their context. (less)

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Feb 09, 2010 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-challenge, nonfiction, read-in-2010, review-books

This book is fairly well-written. It's obvious that LeBlanc is a journalist, as his prose is precise and clean. However, it lacks something that even good non-fiction writing can have -- It has no real heart behind it. Sure, the words flow well and it's easy to read this book, but there's just no feeling behind any of it. A lot of times, it seems as if LeBlanc is just relating his interview subjects' life stories instead of giving the reader any real sense of who these people are. That sense of...more This book is fairly well-written. It's obvious that LeBlanc is a journalist, as his prose is precise and clean. However, it lacks something that even good non-fiction writing can have -- It has no real heart behind it. Sure, the words flow well and it's easy to read this book, but there's just no feeling behind any of it. A lot of times, it seems as if LeBlanc is just relating his interview subjects' life stories instead of giving the reader any real sense of who these people are. That sense of the person -- What's felt and believed and held up as important -- is something I think should be really clear and present when dealing with a fairly polarizing topic such as religious tithing.

While all LeBlanc's interview subjects got the point across easily -- Tithing is good and good things will happen to you if you tithe, according to Scripture -- it felt as if there was a little too much of the same. No one disagreed with the tithing mandate in Scripture. Sure, the conflict among the religious community was occasionally alluded to, but LeBlanc did not seek out interview subjects who don't tithe to find out why. I felt that, because of this lack of conflict, it was a really one-sided and repetitive book. By about the third story, I was kind of bored, but I plowed through anyway. If he had found someone who doesn't tithe for whatever reason, or who doesn't believe that the Old Testament version of tithing (Which is basically what LeBlanc was dealing with here) should be adhered to anymore, I think it would have made the book more interesting.

Also, I thought LeBlanc chose his subjects a little too carefully. They were all either clergy of various denominations (There's even a rabbi in here) or they ran specific religious charities. Common sense would dictate that people who have made religious work their livelihood would ascribe to the tithing mandate. I think this book would have been much more interesting and well-rounded if LeBlanc had sought out the common churchgoer and asked for his or her opinion.

I wouldn't recommend this book to just anyone. This is a book for someone who is really interested in religious topics and wants to learn more about the specific practice of tithing.(less)

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Feb 21, 2010 Lynnea rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Each chapter of this book was supposedly a different person's view of tithing. However, after the first couple chapters, I had a hard time relating the mini-biographies of the people to their tithing comments.

But here are a few points I enjoyed:
Several times Malachi 3:10 was mentioned ("Test me in this").
Randy Alcorn explains, "...if you take the standard of ten percent and say God required it of the poorest people in Old Testament Israel, and now that we're under the grace of Jesus and we hav...more

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May 09, 2011 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: booksneeze, christian, inspirational, non-fiction, read-in-2011, short-stories

Tithing by Douglas Leblanc is part of The Ancient Practices Series. If you're a Christian looking for information on tithing, this is the book for you. It's relatively short, consise, and unjudging.

Tithing is the act of giving 1/10th, or 10%. This means different things for different people. For some it means giving 10% to their church, for others it means giving 10% to those in need. The tithe has long been a debate in the Christian community, and Leblanc does his best in this book to share the...more Tithing by Douglas Leblanc is part of The Ancient Practices Series. If you're a Christian looking for information on tithing, this is the book for you. It's relatively short, consise, and unjudging.

Tithing is the act of giving 1/10th, or 10%. This means different things for different people. For some it means giving 10% to their church, for others it means giving 10% to those in need. The tithe has long been a debate in the Christian community, and Leblanc does his best in this book to share the stories of 11 Christian and Jewish families and their personal takes on tithing.

I enjoyed reading Tithing. The personal stories were both touching and inspirational. Time after time, the stories came back to their title theme: test me in this, from Malachi 3:10:

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."

Even though the stories and the backgrounds of the families featured in Tithing are very different, the message that comes forward is very similar. Tithing is trusting God with your money, that He will do with it good things, and that the Bible literally says that we can test him in this. As a person who has been new to tithing in the last year, this book spoke volumes to me. My husband and I, still in our 20's, have a lot of debt from college, etc. We are approaching the tithe in a graduated way, which is also described in the book. This book also offers a glimpse of financial responsibility. It has been said that you can look at your bank statement and see exactly where you're worshipping (where you're spending your money).

I recommend this book to Christians looking for an open forum of tithing stories. It's a book to read and to draw your own conclusions from.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Tithing from BookSneeze. The opinions in this review are my own. (less)

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Feb 27, 2010 Lydia Presley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, non-fiction

I received this book from BookSneeze (formerly Thomas Nelson Publishers) and was hoping that, while this isn't my usual type of book, it would interesting enough to hold my attention.

This is a small book and I was grateful for that. While the stories were, at moments, interesting on the whole I felt a little out of my league throughout the book. And I almost felt ashamed at times because I've been a Christian my entire life and still had no clue what references to people, ideas and places meant....more

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Feb 10, 2011 Sheridan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I will be giving a talk at church about tithing soon, so I was excited to get a free copy from Book Sneeze of Tithing to review.

The author shares his experience going around the country to interview different people (most are leaders of congregations) who are tithe payers. He shares their experience and thoughts about tithing.

He never says if tithing should be required, rather shares their experiences and lets you come to your own conclusions.

Some interesting insights I came away with that I wil...more

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Jan 11, 2011 Fylvia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kudos to Thomas Nelson for championing the basic disciplines of faith. Far too many Christians today have swung so far left that the warm fuzzies of God’s grace entwining with man’s heart have obfuscated the everyday responsibilities of Christian life and service.

The Cross and God’s grace give us salvation; but the life of the saved is more than clinging to the promise of that Cross. We do not live in a monastic cocoon. Saved or not, we are required to live responsibly in a sinful world. And it...more

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Feb 27, 2010 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: christianity-theology, review-books

I was quite unimpressed with this book. The premise was a good one: demonstrate through real-life examples how giving back to God with an open hand will bring blessings into the life of believers, and how this expands across denominational borders. The execution was terrible. The eleven "journalistic narratives" in this book are sloppily presented, often detouring off the main topic without explanation, disorganized, and containing unexplained references to institutions and events that may be un...more

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Mar 01, 2010 Adam Shields rated it 2 of 5 stars

Full review at http://bookwi.se/tithing-by-douglas-l...

Short review: It was ok. This was a journalistic/interview take on tithing. Didn't answer many of my questions about what tithing should be about. Didn't have any history of tithing in the Christian church.

I want to like the Ancient Practice series, but I have been disappointed in most of them. They have not been that grounded in scripture or history. Fasting by Scot McKnight has been the best so far.

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May 18, 2011 Aaron rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian, christian-living, liberal-theology

My review here: http://wp.me/pttRS-174

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