Abstract
This chapter explores the vast tradition of Christian economic thought on the subject of wealth and poverty. This tradition includes the scripture of the Old and New Testaments, the writings of the early Church Fathers and the medieval Scholastics, the modern Papal encyclicals, and the opinions of contemporary Christian theologians and economists. The predominant Christian position on the subject is largely derivative of the stewardship view of wealth, and its implications with respect to property, poverty, and charity.
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Notes
- 1.
Though he did overlook centuries of Islamic intellectual activity, Schumpeter did acknowledge much of the contributions of medieval scholasticism to the development of economic thought.
- 2.
For many verses that support such themes, see Chap. 1.
- 3.
See also Mark 10:17–25 and Luke 14:33 and 18:18–25.
- 4.
See also Acts 4:32–37.
- 5.
For a critical appraisal of his views on Islam and capitalism , see Reda (2014).
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Reda, A. (2018). Wealth and Poverty: Christian Economic Thought. In: Prophecy, Piety, and Profits. Palgrave Studies in Islamic Banking, Finance, and Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56825-0_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56825-0_10
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