mykevermin
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[quote name='daroga']I'd be curious to know where there are passages that would refer to a captilist society as being sinful (or at least the trimmings of it). There is condemnation of charging interest on loans to those in need, especially with fellow Jews (Christians). In other words, not take advantage of a brother or sister in need. Much of the OT civil law was set in place to protect a person like this, along with the expansive (and at times complicated and confusing from a cultural perspective) kinsmen redeemer laws. The spirit of the law is thus, that we should look out and help our neighbor in any and all things. I don't think capitalism by necessity involves taking advantage. Profit isn't wrong; gouging is.
And you're dead on with hamartia. To sync up with James, God demands perfect bullseye every time. Anything that's not that is a complete failing.[/QUOTE]
Good to see I can remember something (regarding hamartia); that theology class was in 1993. :lol:
Now, as for capitalism specifically, it is not outlawed. I'm merely extrapolating capitalism as sinful from two sources: (1) Bible passages prohibiting usury, as well as the Catholic church's historical prohibition of participating in capitalism (as evidenced by those social patterns found by Max Weber in his excellent text, "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism).
In the case of Weber, briefly, he found that European areas that developed capitalism were dominated by Protestant sects (particularly Pietists and Calvinists), and *never* dominated by Catholics. There was a reason for that; he argues that the benefits accrued through capitalism (in accordance with a hardcore work ethic, of couse - idle hands and all that) were the one telltale sign of God's favor in the eyes of Calvinists (who, just as a general reminder, believed in predestination). Catholics did prescribe to the tenets of not profiting from economic interactions (whether money-for-goods or general bartering). This was a general historical rule for centuries (which is also how we end up with the "moneygrubbing Jew" stereotype; with no religious prohibition on moneylending, they were the only ones who could reasonably do it without offending their diety). Later on, the rule became modified in social circles to continue to prohibit usury/profiting in one's community circle, with exceptions being made for inter-community trade.
If you haven't read Weber's book, I highly recommend it, especially given your religious convictions. It's also an excellent example of how social patterns develop on a large scale due to the repeated patterned actions of individuals who identify as collectivities (Protestant versus Catholic, in this case). It's an excellent historical document. I'd also recommend Emile Durkheim's "Suicide," which describes suicide patterns in nations based upon national religious identity (he finds that nations with higher proportions of Catholics have lower rates of suicide when compared with predominantly Protestant nations).
And you're dead on with hamartia. To sync up with James, God demands perfect bullseye every time. Anything that's not that is a complete failing.[/QUOTE]
Good to see I can remember something (regarding hamartia); that theology class was in 1993. :lol:
Now, as for capitalism specifically, it is not outlawed. I'm merely extrapolating capitalism as sinful from two sources: (1) Bible passages prohibiting usury, as well as the Catholic church's historical prohibition of participating in capitalism (as evidenced by those social patterns found by Max Weber in his excellent text, "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism).
In the case of Weber, briefly, he found that European areas that developed capitalism were dominated by Protestant sects (particularly Pietists and Calvinists), and *never* dominated by Catholics. There was a reason for that; he argues that the benefits accrued through capitalism (in accordance with a hardcore work ethic, of couse - idle hands and all that) were the one telltale sign of God's favor in the eyes of Calvinists (who, just as a general reminder, believed in predestination). Catholics did prescribe to the tenets of not profiting from economic interactions (whether money-for-goods or general bartering). This was a general historical rule for centuries (which is also how we end up with the "moneygrubbing Jew" stereotype; with no religious prohibition on moneylending, they were the only ones who could reasonably do it without offending their diety). Later on, the rule became modified in social circles to continue to prohibit usury/profiting in one's community circle, with exceptions being made for inter-community trade.
If you haven't read Weber's book, I highly recommend it, especially given your religious convictions. It's also an excellent example of how social patterns develop on a large scale due to the repeated patterned actions of individuals who identify as collectivities (Protestant versus Catholic, in this case). It's an excellent historical document. I'd also recommend Emile Durkheim's "Suicide," which describes suicide patterns in nations based upon national religious identity (he finds that nations with higher proportions of Catholics have lower rates of suicide when compared with predominantly Protestant nations).
