The relationship between God and an alcoholic beverage might be a bit startling at first, but the book The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield shows that the connection makes perfect sense in this instance. The book begins with a very detailed history of beer itself, even tracing some arguments that state the desire to brew beer contributed to the abandonment of the nomadic lifestyle of early humans. In the early 1700s, when the Guinness family first started brewing beer, the water was undrinkable but gin was cheap and plentiful. Arthur Guinness wanted to provide a drink that would be safer and more nutritious than what was currently available. Because of his deep faith, as his business became successful Guinness became active in social causes, founding Sunday schools and hospitals for the poor. After his death, future generations of the Guinness family continued with socially responsible activities, paying a high wage to workers and providing generous benefits. This example of generosity set the standard for other employers in Dublin and improved living conditions for everyone in the city. The book is written in a chatty, amusing style and the author’s glowing respect for the company is obvious.
A review copy of the book was provided for me from Thomas Nelson Publishers.
13 hours ago
2 comments:
That sounds like a really interesting read. Interesting because a lot of circles I used to run in, while not being outright against the "demon alcohol," they were very concerned that any public drinking might harm one's Christian witness. Sounds like the Guinness family had some pretty good Christian witness on account of the demon ;)
Yes, I was interested in reading this book since the Guinness family seemed to be so dedicated to the church and social issues while making their money from alcohol! It was an interesting read!
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