Reimaging Xianity in the wake of Modernism's passing
Christian Charity in the 4th Century
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| Julian the Apostate, apparently after he had fallen from a horse and injured his arm. |
Here are some words from Julian the Apostate, my favorite Roman Emperor on Christian and Jewish charity. Julian hated Christians and sought to undermine their cultural advances. This quote comes from his justification to use temples as social justice distribution centers.
For it is disgraceful that, when no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Galileans[1] support not only their own poor, but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us.
We see that Christians and Jews gave, and gave heavily, not only to their own poor, but to the poor outside of their communities.
Can you imagine what our witness would be if no Christian ever went hungry and we even gave outside of our communities?
Julian’s plan ultimately failed because “there was no doctrinal bases or traditional practices to build upon.”[2]
Roman’s practiced charity, but it was the prevue of the state and of loyalty to it, not because of religious obligation. Christians, on the other hand, saw service to the poor as one of the primary markers of one’s spiritual status.[3]
Notes:- Christians [↩]
- Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity 1997 p. 88 [↩]
- Gary Anderson, Sin 2009, L.344-56 [↩]
About the author
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