In the latest issue of Evangelical Review of Theology (Jan 2017, Vol 41/1) with a special theme on Economy and Marketplace, I contribute an essay on "Paul the Economist? Economic Principles in Pauline Literature with the Jerusalem Collection as a Test Case." This piece is an extension of my earlier essay, "Generosity from a Pauline Perspective," published in the same journal in the Jan 2013 Vol 31/1 issue.
In this article, I examine why the Apostle Paul was deeply concerned with the inequality of income distribution in the Roman Empire and how this propelled him to care for the poor. By taking a closer look at Paul’s collection for the Jerusalem poor, there are a number of economic principles that guided him in his quest for remembering the poor: the principle of grace and generosity, the principle of equality, and the principle of sharing recourses as a family. All these principles were revolutionary in nature as they were against the prevailing social conventions of the Greco-Roman world. Paul used these principles to construct a new economic structure to achieve an equality of possessions through voluntary redistribution of wealth between persons of different classes – rich and poor; different geographical locations – Judea and the Mediterranean world; and of different ethnic groups – Jews and Gentiles.
In this article, I examine why the Apostle Paul was deeply concerned with the inequality of income distribution in the Roman Empire and how this propelled him to care for the poor. By taking a closer look at Paul’s collection for the Jerusalem poor, there are a number of economic principles that guided him in his quest for remembering the poor: the principle of grace and generosity, the principle of equality, and the principle of sharing recourses as a family. All these principles were revolutionary in nature as they were against the prevailing social conventions of the Greco-Roman world. Paul used these principles to construct a new economic structure to achieve an equality of possessions through voluntary redistribution of wealth between persons of different classes – rich and poor; different geographical locations – Judea and the Mediterranean world; and of different ethnic groups – Jews and Gentiles.
The rest of the essays in this issue include the following:
Theology of Jubilee: Biblical, Social and Ethical Perspectives by Chris Wright
TGIF! A Theology of Workers and Their Work by Myk Habets and Peter McGhee
The Church as Civil Society: an African Ecclesiology by Emiola Nihinlola
Economic Growth vs The Environment: The Need for New Paradigms in Economics, Business Ethics, and Evangelical Theology by John Jefferson Davis
Work, Spirit, and New Creation by Miroslav Volf
I am very pleased to know that John Jefferson Davis, my former theology professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary also has an article in this issue. Apart from Davis, this issue also includes contribution from authors who originate from Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, apart from those who are from the developed nations - a truly global contribution indeed.
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