Poverty in the Early Church and Today: A Conversation

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This book is open access and available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. It is funded by Knowledge Unlatched. This innovative volume focuses on the significance of early Christianity for modern means of addressing poverty, by offering a rigorous study of deprivation and its alleviation in both earliest Christianity and todays world. The contributors seek to present the complex ways in which early Christian ideas and practices relate to modern ideas and practices, and vice versa. In this light, the book covers seven major areas of poverty and its causes, benefaction, patronage, donation, wealth and dehumanization, the undeserving poor, and responsibility. Each area features an expert in early Christianity in its Jewish and Graeco-Roman settings, paired with an expert in modern strategies for addressing poverty and benefaction; each author engages with the same topic from their respective area of expertise, and responds to their partners essay. Giving careful attention toboth the continuities and discontinuities between the ancient world and today, the contributors seek to inform and engage church leaders, those working in NGOs concerned with poverty, and all interested in these crucial issues, both Christian and not.

Reviews

Most Christians at most times have believed that loving our neighbour was intimately connected with loving God. In an age where there is a rush to activism this volume is a deep well of refreshment as it addresses why we act and how our actions connect with the mission of God and how that mission has been worked out in different times and places. This volume will help us serve the world with intelligence and compassion. * David Westlake, Chief Executive Officer, International Justice Mission, UK *
This is a wonderful, rich and diverse conversation about poverty and how to respond to it. Bringing experts on New Testament and early Christianity into conversation with experts in modern strategies for addressing poverty - this volume showcases the best of applied theological conversation. A must-read for anyone interested in thinking theologically and practically about poverty in our modern world. * Paula R Gooder, British and Foreign Bible Society, UK *
Academics and practitioners have contributed to this book that looks biblically, theologically and historically at issues relating to poverty. I have been ministering among the poor for almost four decades and am often at a loss to know how to respond to some complex issues I have faced. This book helpfully addresses some of those issues. I will be referring to it often. Both students and grassroots workers will be well served by this book. * Ajith Fernando, Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka *

Author Bio

Steve Walton is Associate Research Fellow at Trinity College, Bristol, UK, and was formerly Professor in New Testament at St Marys University, Twickenham, UK. Hannah Swithinbank leads the Theology and Network Engagement Team at Tearfund, UK.