Professional paper

Early Christian Attitude Towards Money

Anto Mišić ; The Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus, University of Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Early Christian views of money (economics) do not materially differ from those of ancient Jews or Greeks and Romans, who had subordinated economics and economic benefits to the principle of common good (bonum commune). The humanist socialism of the Stoics, which considered private ownership as a breakdown of the ideal natural order, influenced the Christian views of money and material goods. Based on the Revelation, Christians concluded that the corruption of the original human nature and distorted views of material goods had their source in original sin. The fact that early Christian authors, when writing about material goods, principally speak of duties and the equality of men in duties, it could have been a good way to arrive to equality in rights, too. The reason why this has never happened ought to be found in the fact that the rich have failed to seriously lay down for themselves the moral principles recorded in the Gospel, principles that had often been advised by early Christian writers.

Keywords

Early Christianity; money; politics; religion; property

Hrčak ID:

101416

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/101416

Publication date:

15.11.2005.

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