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

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