Research Catalog

Title

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

Author

Caner, Daniel,

Publication

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

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

xix, 410 pages : illustrations, maps; 24 cm.

Summary

"As the Roman Empire broke down in western Europe, its stability and prosperity moved decisively to the east, producing history's first truly affluent, multi-faceted Christian society, in what is now known as the Byzantine Empire. What united the twenty-four million people living in this vast realm--Roman citizens all, but as diverse as the landscape itself--was a shared conviction in the Christian ideal of philanthrōpia. In this sweeping cultural and social history of Christian philanthropy, Daniel Caner shows this practice involved more than simply a love of humanity; it required living up to Jesus's injunction to 'Give to all who ask of you' by offering mercy and material aid to every human being, whatever their origin or status. Yet this commitment to the common good arose in an aristocratic society marked by sharp gradations of rank and privilege and dominated by an official church experiencing explosive growth and unprecedented affluence. In tracking the evolution of distinctive ideals and modes of Christian giving over three centuries, Caner brings to the fore the people of Byzantium, from the countryside to the lower levels of urban society to the elites, and the complex, hierarchical relationships that these gifts fostered among them. Drawing on an immense range of evidence, The Rich and the Pure offers nothing less than a portrait of the whole of early Byzantine society"--

Series Statement

Transformation of the classical heritage ; LXII

Uniform Title

Transformation of the classical heritage ; 62.

Subject

• Byzantine Empire > Social aspects > 527-1081
• Byzantine Empire > Social aspects > To 527
• Byzantine Empire
• Charity > Christianity
• Social aspects
• To 1081

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

Prologue : what is a Christian gift? -- Introduction : philanthropy and asceticism in the first affluent Christian society -- A present-giving world -- Give to all who ask of you : the challenge of early Byzantine philanthropy -- Bend your heart to mercy : giving alms in early Byzantine communities -- With your whole soul : from alms to charity in early Byzantine monasticism -- What God has put in your heart : divine patronage and material blessings -- First fruits of the world : fruitbearings, penance and prosperity in the countryside -- Imperishable remembrance : offerings and the rise of patronal monasteries -- Epilogue : when holy men walked the earth.

Call Number

JFE 21-8012

ISBN

• 9780520381582
• 0520381580

LCCN

2020046809

OCLC

1204268088

Author

Caner, Daniel, author.

Title

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

Publisher

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

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Transformation of the classical heritage ; LXII

Transformation of the classical heritage ; 62.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Chronological Term

To 1081

Other Form:

Online version: Caner, Daniel. The rich and the pure Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2021] 9780520381599 (DLC) 2020046810

Research Call Number

JFE 21-8012