The Church's special responsibility to the rich

The headline above isn't intended as a joke. Given yesterday's readings, is it possible that the Church is failing in its responsibility to warn rich people--which, in the global calculus would mean most Americans--of the grave danger that their standard of living poses to their souls?

The story of Lazarus and the rich man, not to mention the Beatitudies and the whole camel through the eye of the needle thing suggest that Jesus, who urged one young man to give up everything he had to follow him, is as profoundly concerned--one might even say alarmed--about the dim prospect of salvation for the rich as any other issue he spoke about. What does this mean for those who are wealthy? What does it mean for the Church in wealthy nations? Which theologians have discussed this in a systematic way?

Posted by Jim Naughton on September 27, 2010 12:08 PM | |
Comments (4)

This is what I had to say about the topic yesterday...

http://ecubishop.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/the-problem-with-religious-people/

www.ecubishop.wordpress.com

Bishop Chris Epting
Interim Dean
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
Davenport, Iowa

Posted by Chris Epting [TypeKey Profile Page] | September 27, 2010 12:31 PM

The short answer to your questions is that a church made up mostly of the affluent needs to be ware of letting its members off the hook with cheap grace.

Here is what I said in my homily on the "Unjust Manager": http://intotheexpectation.blogspot.com/2010/09/make-friends-for-yourselves.html.

The early church was not shy about the spiritual dangers of wealth and our responsibility to the poor: http://intotheexpectation.blogspot.com/2010/09/caring-for-poor-as-redemptive-liturgy.html

Matt Gunter

Posted by www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkhxLDUBMAzJ [TypeKey Profile Page] | September 27, 2010 1:53 PM

Yes, indeed. This verse from yesterday's epistle reading is one that struck me as Wall Street was failing and the recession was going viral worldwide: "As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches..." (1 Timothy 6:17). The uncertainty of riches! They certainly proved to be uncertain in the recent economic meltdown. And many who set their hopes on them had the rug pulled out from under their feet and fell hard. Mammon, it turned out, was a very fickle and none too reliable god, and many of its apostles and prophets were shown to be dishonest and fraudulent.

As for an in-depth theological approach to the questions of property, wealth, economics, stewardship and social responsibility, John Chrysostom and Basil of Caesarea wrote and preached extensively on these themes. The texts they left us astonishingly read as though they were written for the 21st century, rather than the fourth, showing that these problems are not new and the Church has long been addressing them. (Imagine, a bishop of the early church taking on the practice of lending at exorbitant interest rates! How much more contemporary can one get?) Two very readable modern translations of their writings on these topics are available:

On Living Simply: The Golden Voice of John Chrysostom
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Simply-Golden-Voice-Chrysostom/dp/0764800566

On Social Justice: St. Basil the Great (Popular Patristics)
http://www.amazon.com/Social-Justice-Basil-Popular-Patristics/dp/0881410535

Both have a lot to say that Christians, particularly in America and other affluent nations today, need to hear.

Posted by Gregory Orloff [TypeKey Profile Page] | September 27, 2010 2:10 PM

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