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

Richard Newhauser0521385229, 9780521385220, 9780511010002

In this full-length study of the early history of greed Richard Newhauser challenges the traditional view that avarice only became a dominant sin with the rise of a money economy. He shows that avaritia, the sin of greed for possessions, was dominant in a wide range of theological and literary texts from the first century CE, and that by the early Middle Ages avarice headed the list of vices for authors aiming to convert others from pagan materialism to Christian spirituality.

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Table of contents :
Cover……Page 1
Half-title……Page 3
Series-title……Page 4
Title……Page 5
Copyright……Page 6
Contents……Page 9
List of abbreviations……Page 10
Preface……Page 13
THE DEADLY SIN TRADITION: AVARICE AND THE WANING OF ESCHATOLOGICAL EXPECTATIONS……Page 17
AVARICE AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY……Page 20
THE TERMINOLOGY OF GREED AND MALLEABILITY IN THE LIMITS TO POSSESSIONS……Page 22
CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA’S JUSTIFICATION OF THE RICH……Page 26
ORIGEN: ASCETICISM, PSYCHOLOGY, AND THE PROBLEM OF AVARICE IN THE CHURCH……Page 28
COMPROMISE IN THE FACE OF PERSECUTION: CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE ON PRECEPTS, COUNSELS, AND THE MISER……Page 30
LACTANTIUS: MYTHOLOGY AND THE BEGINNINGS OF SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS……Page 34
2 Ascetic transformations I: monks and the laity in eastern Christendom……Page 38
ASCETICISM AND THE LAITY IN THE THOUGHT OF BASIL THE GREAT……Page 39
PLATONIC ASCETICISM AND THE THREAT OF HERESY IN THE THOUGHT OF GREGORY OF NYSSA……Page 45
THE PHILOSOPHICAL ASCETICISM OF GREGORY NAZIANZEN……Page 50
JOHN CHRYSOSTOM’S RHETORIC OF AVARICE……Page 54
THE CAPITAL VICE TRADITION: EVAGRIUS PONTICUS AND THE EVIL THOUGHT OF GREED……Page 63
EARLY MONASTIC LITERATURE AND THE TEMPTATION OF GREED……Page 73
JOHN CASSIAN’S TRANSFORMATION OF PHILARGYRIA FOR WESTERN MONASTICISM……Page 77
ASCETICISM AS ATTITUDE IN THE THOUGHT OF AMBROSE OF MILAN……Page 86
THE RISE OF AVARICE – IN NORTHERN ITALY IN THE LATE FOURTH AND EARLY FIFTH CENTURIES……Page 89
THE ALLEGORY OF GREED: PRUDENTIUS’ PSYCHOMACHIA……Page 95
JEROME AS A SOCIAL CRITIC OF AVARICE……Page 101
AUGUSTINIAN ORTHODOXY VS. PELAGIAN RADICALISM……Page 104
AVARITIA GENERALIS: THE SPIRITUALIZATION OF GREED……Page 107
DIVERSITY IN SYSTEMATIC TREATMENTS OF AVARICE……Page 112
REGULATING THE SIN: EARLY MONASTIC LEGISLATION……Page 114
SEEKING THE BOUNDARIES: PRIDE AND AVARICE……Page 115
GREGORY THE GREAT’S SYNTHESIS OF CASSIAN AND AUGUSTINE……Page 116
EARLY MEDIEVAL SYSTEMS OF THE VICES: ISIDORE OF SEVILLE……Page 123
CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE VICE AND ITS PROGENY: AVARICE AND CUPIDITAS……Page 126
PLACE FOR THE PRIMACY OF GREED IN THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES……Page 129
CAROLINGIAN REFORM AND MODERATION IN POSSESSING……Page 132
LITERARY FOUNDATIONS FOR THE SECOND RISE OF AVARICE……Page 137
TOWARDS AVARICE IN THE MONEY ECONOMY……Page 141
AVARICE IN THE GROWTH OF ESCHATOLOGICAL EXPECTATIONS……Page 144
I IMAGES……Page 148
II AUTHORS (NUMBERS REFER TO THE ENTRIES ABOVE)……Page 157
PREFACE……Page 159
1 ALMS AND ASCETES, ROUND STONES AND MASONS: AVARICE IN THE EARLY CHURCH……Page 160
2 ASCETIC TRANSFORMATIONS I: MONKS AND THE LAITY IN EASTERN CHRISTENDOM……Page 171
3 ASCETIC TRANSFORMATIONS II: SOARING EAGLES OR SAFETY IN THE HERD – FROM ANCHORITIC TO CENOBITIC MONASTICISM……Page 180
4 ASCETIC TRANSFORMATIONS III: THE LATIN WEST IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH CENTURIES……Page 191
5 SECULARIZING AVARICE AND CUPIDITY……Page 205
EPILOGUE: FUTURE PERSPECTIVES……Page 218
1 Greek and Oriental (Hebrew, Syriac, Coptic)……Page 221
2 Latin and Vernacular (Old English)……Page 223
II MODERN SCHOLARSHIP……Page 228
General index……Page 248
Index of names……Page 255