The Early History of Greed: The Sin of Avarice in Early Medieval Thought and Literature (Cambridge S

Greed: The Sin of Avarice in Early Medieval Thought and Literature ( Cambridge Studies This is an erudite, superb work that commands attention from everyone In this first full-length study of the early history of greed Richard Newhauser.
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In this first full-length study of the early history of greed, Richard Newhauser shows that avaritia, the sin of greed for possessions, has a much longer history, and is more important for an understanding of the Middle Ages, than has previously been allowed.

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His examination of theological and literary texts composed between the first century CE and the tenth century reveals new significance in the portrayal of various kinds of greed, to the extent that by the early Middle Ages avarice was available to head the list of vices for authors engaged in the task of converting others from pagan materialism to Christian spirituality. List of abbreviations Preface 1. Alms and ascetes, round stones and masons: Secularizing avarice and cupidity Epilogue: Future perspectives Appendix Notes Bibliography Indexes.

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First full-length study of the early history of greed and avarice Shows for the first time that greed and avarice were dominant in literature and thought well before the rise of capitalism Throws new light on greed and avarice as most prominent in list of vices for authors trying to convert others from pagan materialism to Christian spirituality. Log in to review. How do you rate this item? His first chapter jumps hit and miss through the early centuries with no sys-tematic development or any clear indication of the relative importance of Paul, Hermas, Clement of Alexandria, Epiphanes, Irenaeus, or the other authors he mentions.

What Newhauser perceives as a lack of systematic development in the sources does not absolve him from a systematic analysis of those sources. Specifically, the pivotal role played by Philo and his reduction of the tenth or ninth and tenth commandment s to the simple is not even mentioned.

The Early History of Greed: The Sin of Avarice in Early Medieval Thought and Literature

Since Clement in particular developed this concept within a Christian and Stoic context, its absence from the discussion results in a major lacuna in understanding Clement's view, and one can only be puzzled that the sole allusion to the Decalogue here is a dated reference to an article by R. Nor is this the only source of puzzlement. That the first three centuries can be dispatched in a mere twenty-one pages; that in the end, "The early centuries of Christian literature provide nothing more systematic on avarice that what is seen in rudimentary form in Lactantius, nor do they show the more orthodox positions on greed and the affluent affirmed by all writers on these issues" 21 ; and that corruption was felt to be rampant in the late Empire 22 will give pause to students of early Christianity.

The chapters devoted to asceticism are vitiated by the absence of any reference to a number of major works written in the past twenty years. It is an appalling oversight that Elizabeth Clark is not even mentioned in the bibliography.


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