Porters to Heaven

This essay presents Augustine as a rich ethical resource on issues of wealth and poverty. Contrary to prevalent views that he had little to say on issues of economic justice, Augustine decries wealth as morally dangerous, promotes the agency of the poor in advocating for themselves with the wealthy,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ward, Kate 1983- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2014
In: Journal of religious ethics
Year: 2014, Volume: 42, Issue: 2, Pages: 216-242
Further subjects:B Augustine
B Poverty
B Inequality
B Christian Ethics
B Wealth
Online Access: Volltext (JSTOR)
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Summary:This essay presents Augustine as a rich ethical resource on issues of wealth and poverty. Contrary to prevalent views that he had little to say on issues of economic justice, Augustine decries wealth as morally dangerous, promotes the agency of the poor in advocating for themselves with the wealthy, and supports distributive justice. Augustine envisions an interdependent Christian community where the wealthy not only help the poor, but rely on the poor to help them achieve salvation by “bearing their goods to heaven,” as Augustine describes the receipt of alms. Augustine's view of wealth's moral danger is an apt resource for ethicists interested in virtue. His insistence on poor people's moral agency and interdependence among poor and wealthy speak to pressing issues of justice in today's unequal societies.
ISSN:1467-9795
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religious ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jore.12054