Property and riches in the early church : aspects of a social history of early Christianity / Martin Hengel ; translated by John Bowden from the German. [print]

Translation of Eigentum und Reichtum in der fruhen Kirche.

Includes bibliographical references.

The criticism of property among the fathers, natural law and utopia in antiquity. The criticism of property among the fourth-century fathers ; Natural law and utopia in antiquity ; Greek influence in early Christianity? -- Property and riches in the Old Testament and Judaism. The prophetic criticism of riches and its expression in the Torah ; Social tensions in early Judaism ; Poverty and riches in the rabbis -- The preaching of Jesus. Jesus' radical criticism of property ; Jesus' free attitude to property ; The imminence of the rule of God and the love of the Father -- The 'love communism' of the primitive community -- Paul and the communities of the Gentile Christian mission. The new situation ; The social structure of the Gentile Christian communities ; The eschatological relativization of property -- Attempts at solving the question of property in the community ethics of early Christianity -- The criticism of property in apocalyptic Christianity and its tradition. The influence of crude apocalyptic polemic ; Thorough-going criticism of riches in the community ; The motive of asceticism -- The ideal of 'self-sufficiency' in popular philosophy. Paul and the influence of popular philosophy ; Bourgeois influence on the ideal -- The compromise of effective compensation. The positive evaluation of manual labour and the moderate acquisition of possessions ; The increase in members from the upper strata in the communities ; Comprehensive care of the poor and its basis ; Three examples from the Roman community -- Clement of Alexandria: the rich man's salvation -- Cyprian of Carthage: on good works and almsgiving -- Ten concluding theses.

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