The Rich Christian in the Church of the Early Empire: Contradictions and Accommodations / Early Church on Wealth

Description

INTRODUCTION........................................ 1 History of the Modern Discussion................ 1 The Method and Scope of the Present Work........ 18 Rich and Poor in the Greco-Roman City........... 22 Wealth and Poverty in Palestinian Judaism........ 26 Limits of This Study............................ 33 Footnotes....................................... 35 CHAPTER ONE. WEALTH AND ALMSGIVING: THE THOUGHT OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA................ 4 7 Is Christian Wealth Legitimate?................. 47 Detachment and Simplicity....................... 52 Almsgiving or Communism?........................ 54 Conclusions..................................... 60 Footnotes....................................... 64 CHAPTER TWO. EARLY CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES TOWARD WEALTH................................... 6 9 Detachment...................................... 69 Simplicity...................................... 73 Communism....................................... 76 Righteous Poor and Wicked Rich.................. 81 Conclusions..................................... 89 Footnotes....................................... 92 CHAPTER THREE. ALMSGIVING: THE RELIGIOUS VALUE OF WEALTH................................. 103 Almsgiving in Judaism and the Greco- Roman World.................................. 103 Alms for the Poor............................... 107 The Redemptive Power of Almsgiving.............. 108 Alms from the Rich: Abandonment................. 114 Alms as the Cement of the Churches.............. 118 Conclusions..................................... 120 Footnotes....................................... 122 CHAPTER FOUR. THE DANGER OF RICHES TO THEIR POSSESSOR................................. 131 The Weakness of the Rich........................ 131 The Rich as Potential Apostates................. 135 Implications of Apostasy........................ 142 Footnotes....................................... 145 CHAPTER FIVE. THE DANGER OF THE RICH TO THE CHURCH...................................... 14 9 Tension Between Rich and Poor................... 149 Insubordination of the Rich..................... 151 Roles of the Rich Layman and the Minister....... 157 Church and Club................................. 162 Occasions of Conflict........................... 166 Conclusions..................................... 171 Footnotes....................................... 174 CHAPTER SIX. CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE: A CASE STUDY IN THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF CHRISTIAN RICHES..... 183 Cyprian of Carthage and His Abandonment of Wealth.................................... 18 3 The Decian Crisis: Before and After............. 188 Almsgiving: The Only Solution................... 195 Conclusions..................................... 199 Footnotes....................................... 201 CONCLUSION.......................................... 209 Summary......................................... 209 Implications for Further Work................... 210 Footnotes....................................... 215 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS............................... 216 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................ 217 Texts and Translations of Ancient Jewish and Christian Works.......................... 217 Background and General Works.................... 219 Early Christianity and its Society.............. 223 Works on the New Testament...................... 230