Contact: Grant Van Leuven, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 866-778-7338, ext. 108, 412-716-9051 cell, gvanleuven@rpts.edu.

PITTSBURGH, October 16 /Christian Newswire/ -- "While the Me Decade of the eighties may be history, that era's headlong rush into materialism is still with us," says seminary professor and author, Anthony Selvaggio.

"A largely amoral free-market capitalism has made the care and feeding of personal greed a permanent cultural obsession that has manifested itself in our nation's current financial debacle that could be avoided if we followed the Biblical wisdom of Proverbs."

A visiting professor at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh [See www.rpts.edu], Selvaggio released a book this month called A Proverbs Driven Life: Timeless Wisdom for Your Words, Work, Wealth, and Relationships ($14.99, Shepherd Press). Chapters five and six in part three deal with wealth in terms of Biblical prosperity, financial stewardship, and using wealth for the right purposes.

Selvaggio is available for interviews about relating the wisdom of the Bible's Proverbs on the proper gain of wealth to the financial crisis in the U.S.

"A Proverbs-driven life understands the place and purpose of material wealth and commends the diligent acquisition of it."

One topic in the section of wealth is titled "God's Get-Rich-Slow Scheme". Here Selvaggio writes:

"Indeed, the pursuit of material wealth can be entirely godly ... Where Scripture differs from much of human wisdom in this regard, however, is in teaching that wealth ought to be gained gradually, and with the proper heart attitude. Simply stated, the Bible teaches us that the best way to get rich is to be willing to do so slowly, intentionally, and in reliance on God."

He cites Proverbs 21:5: "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty."

His book also addresses other areas of life that Proverbs provides counsel on: wise speech, a faithful work ethic and faithful ethics at work, friendship, marriage, and parenting.

Selvaggio is soon to release another book, The 24/7 Christian: Practical Help from the Book of James, with Evangelical Press in November. The book explores the Christian life through the panoramic lens of the epistle, said to perhaps be the New Testament letter most comprehensively addressing the Christian life. Both books are available for purchase online at Amazon.com and publisher websites.