Grace or Money: Rediscovering the Gift of Grace in an Age of Greed

$19.95

by Justin Pack

Available February 2026

Book Description:

Justin Pack’s Grace or Money: Rediscovering the Gift of Grace in an Age of Greed is a provocative and timely exploration of two fundamentally different ways of understanding the world: the divine “order of grace” and the human-made “order of money.” Drawing from scripture, anthropology, and philosophy, Pack challenges the modern assumption that scarcity is natural, arguing instead that God created a world of abundance meant to be shared. Through engaging analysis of ancient societies, biblical teachings, and contemporary economic systems, he reveals how our obsession with meritocracy and wealth distorts relationships, erodes integrity, and blinds us to the generosity woven into creation. With wit and clarity, Pack exposes how money—far from being a neutral tool—breeds thoughtlessness and even “BS,” turning life into a game of status and calculation.

At once a celebration of grace and a critique of capitalism’s spiritual emptiness, Grace or Money calls readers to rediscover a more life-giving order rooted in gift and community. Whether reflecting on his own Latter-day Saint upbringing, unmasking the myths of progress, or examining the moral hazards of meritocracy, Pack offers a compelling vision of how rejecting the logic of money can heal our societies and souls. For anyone seeking a deeper understanding of faith, justice, and what it means to truly flourish, this book is a bracing, hopeful invitation to choose grace over gain.

About the Author:

Dr. Justin Pack teaches Philosophy at California State University, Stanislaus. He specializes in the study of the political, social, moral and environmental implications of thoughtlessness, especially with regard to exploitation and alienation. His work seeks to understand how the “technocratic paradigm” of modernity functions as an epistemology of ignorance that covers over the exploitation of the environment and human labor that are the foundation of our modern economy. His approach is genealogical and comparative, rooted in Arendt, Critical Theory, and marginalized traditions like Native American, Feminist and Environmental philosophy.

Dr. Pack has written articles for several publications and has authored seven other books, including Environmental Philosophy in Desperate Times (2022), Money and Thoughtlessness: A Genealogy and Defense of Traditions Suspicions of Money and Merchants (2023), and Meritocracy Mingled with Scripture (2024). After getting his MS in Sociology at Brigham Young University, he received his PhD in Philosophy at the University of Oregon.