The rich and the pure : philanthropy and the making of Christian society in early Byzantium / Daniel Caner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Caner, Daniel, author.

Series:

Transformation of the classical heritage ; Volume 62.

Transformation of the Classical Heritage ; Volume 62

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Charity--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Charity.

Byzantine Empire--Social aspects--To 527.

Byzantine Empire.

Byzantine Empire--Social aspects--527-1081.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (438 pages)

Place of Publication:

Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2021]

Summary:

A portrait of history's first complex Christian society as seen through the lens of Christian philanthropy and gift giving As the Roman Empire broke down in western Europe, its prosperity moved decisively eastward, to what is now known as the Byzantine Empire. Here was born history's first truly affluent, multifaceted Christian society. One of the ideals used to unite the diverse millions of people living in this vast realm was the Christianized ideal of philanthrōpia. In this sweeping cultural and social history, Daniel Caner shows how philanthropy required living up to Jesus's injunction to "Give to all who ask of you," by offering mercy and/or material aid to every human being, regardless of their origin or status. Caner shows how Christian philanthropy became articulated through distinct religious ideals of giving that helped define proper social relations among the rich, the poor, and "the pure" (Christian holy people), resulting in new and enduring social expectations. In tracking the evolution of Christian giving over three centuries, he brings to the fore the concerns of the peoples of Early Byzantium, from the countryside to the lower levels of urban society to the imperial elites, as well as the hierarchical relationships that arose among them. The Rich and the Pure offers nothing less than a portrait of the whole of early Byzantine society..

Contents:

Cover

The Rich and the Pure

Title

Copyright

Dedication

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Prologue: What Is a Christian Gift?

Map

Timeline

Introduction

Surviving Sources and Historical Discourses

Philanthropy and Asceticism as Complementary Virtues

1. The Present-Giving World of Early Byzantium

Christian Gifts in the Late Roman Holy Land

Secular Gifts and the Late Roman Imperial Order

Providential Order and the Rise of a Religious Aristocracy

The Christian Ideal of Stewardship

2. "Give to All Who Ask of You": The Challenge of Early Byzantine Philanthropy

The Classical Roots of Christian Philanthrōpia

Christian Philanthropy before Constantine

Constantine and the Extension of Christian Philanthropy

Preaching Philanthropy in Christian Cappadocia

"To Each According to Need": Philanthropic Priorities in Church Institutions

"To Each According to Rank": Philanthropic Priorities in Sixth-Century Monasteries

3. "Bend Your Heart to Mercy": Almsgiving and the Christian Advocacy of Social Compassion

Preaching Direct Almsgiving in Christian Antioch

The Monastic Middle Way of Communal Ministrations

Monastic Mediation between the Rich, the Clergy, and the Poor

4. "Give It with Your Whole Soul": From Alms to Charity in Early Byzantine Monasticism

Defining Charity in Egyptian Desert Tradition

Gifts of Charity in the Seridos Monastery

Sins of Excess and Redemptive Almsgiving

Almsgiving as Purification in Eastern Hagiography

"Give as Your Alms from the Things Within": Alms, Charity, and Christian Altruism

5. "What God Has Put in Your Heart to Give": Divine Patronage, Sacred Wealth, and Material Blessings

The Pauline Concept of a Christian Blessing

The Institutional and Lay Provision of Material Blessings

Human Avarice and Divine Patronage.

Converting Lay Offerings into Blessings

Ascetic Stewardship and the Multiplication of Monastic Blessings

Gifts of a Sacred Order

Sacred Wealth and Monastic Culture

6. "You Are the Firstfruits of the World": Monasticism, Fruitbearings, and Prosperity in the Countryside

Agrarian and Monastic Expansion on the Rural Margins

A Syrian Village Perspective: The Letter of Cosmas of Panîr

Agriculture and Religious Science in the Roman Near East

The Intercessory Powers of Symeon Stylites the Elder

Ascetic Penance and Lay Prosperity in the Lives of Barsauma and Theodore

Fruitbearings, Gratitude, and Sacred Vessels

7. "Imperishable Remembrance in Heaven and Earth": Liturgical Offerings and the Rise of Patronal Monasteries

Lay Offerings and Church Commemorations

Church Apologetics for Commemorative Rites

Jacob of Serug's On the Loaf for the Departed

Patronal Praise and the Proliferation of Private Monasteries

Monks, Freedmen, and the Perennial Quest for Perpetual Commemoration

Memory, Salvation, and the Economics of Monastic Patronage

Epilogue: When Holy Men Walked the Earth

Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780520381599

0520381599

OCLC:

1221013833