Wealth, Poverty, Economy

Abstract

In this essay, the usage of the term “economy” is discussed and a working definition proposed; the current state of the discussion of the “ancient economy” in classical studies of Rome is briefly surveyed; and the Synoptic Gospels are situated within that context. Because the terms “wealth” and “poverty” and their Greek and Latin equivalents are imprecise and are used to indicate a wide range of economic situations, this essay utilizes the Friesen-Longenecker economic scale to measure differences in resources attributed to various groups and persons depicted or addressed in the Synoptic Gospels and Q. The Q source presupposes addressees situated slightly lower (i.e., less wealthy) on the economic scale than does the Gospel of Luke, whose addressees are imagined as slightly more affluent. The Gospel of Matthew tends to portray counterfactual economic scenarios in parables that advance theological agendas. The essay identifies issues for further research.