The Unjust Steward: Wealth, Poverty, and the Church Today

by Miguel Escobar

Overview

"An absolute must read for anyone who has ever wondered what the Bible really says about economic injustice and the wealth gap." -Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean, Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary

In the ancient heart of Christianity is a deep longing for God's reversal of rich and poor. Its depiction of "the righteous poor and oppressive rich" and God's preferential option for "the least of these" continues to represent something new, countercultural, and strange, both in ancient Rome and today.

Author Miguel Escobar grounds the discussion of wealth and poverty in the teachings of Jesus, weaving in the words of early church leaders and his own personal experience.

The Unjust Steward presents a compelling case for a profound overhaul in the way the church and its people value the poor and transform into servants of God instead of stewards of wealth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780880285117
Publisher:	APG Sales & Distribution
Publication date:	09/15/2022
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Miguel Escobar is executive director of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary (EDS at Union). There, he works with the Very Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas, dean of EDS at Union, in the formation of social-justice faith leaders for the Episcopal Church. Previously, Escobar served as managing program director for leadership, communications, and external affairs at the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF). He earned a master of divinity from Union Theological Seminary in 2007 and served as the communications assistant to then-Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori from 2007 to 2010. Escobar is chair of the board of directors of Forward Movement and serves as secretary of the board of directors of Episcopal Relief & Development. He grew up in the Texas Hill Country and attended Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, where he studied the Roman Catholic social justice tradition, Latin American liberation theologies, and minored in Spanish. Escobar divides his time between two partnered parishes in Brooklyn, New York: All Saints, Park Slope, and San Andres in Sunset Park. He lives with his husband, Ben, and dog, Duke, in Brooklyn.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Introduction xiii

Acknowledgments xix

Part I Reversal and Koinonia 1

Chapter 1 Dreams of Reversal 3

Chapter 2 The Lord's Prayer as Song for a Hungry People 19

Chapter 3 Wealth's Purpose in the Gospel of Luke 31

Chapter 4 Paul on Eucharist and Economic Justice 43

Chapter 5 Paul's Compensation and Solidarity with the Poor 57

Chapter 6 Phoebe, Deacon and Benefactor of the Church 71

Chapter 7 The Jerusalem Collection 85

Chapter 8 Justin Martyr's Liturgy of Word, Table, and Koinonia 99

Chapter 9 Christianity as a Burial and Mutual Aid Society 111

Chapter 10 The Shepherd of Hermas and the Elm and the Vine 127

Chapter 11 Spiritualized Wealth and Poverty in the Hymn of the Pearl 143

Chapter 12 Clement of Alexandria on the Usefulness of Staying Wealthy 157

Part II In the Public Square 171

Chapter 13 Constantine's Imperial Benefits (Many Strings Attached) 175

Chapter 14 Lactantius on Justice, Equality, and Mercy 193

Chapter 15 Julian's Begrudging Respect for Christian Charity 205

Chapter 16 Life of Antony: A Silent Protest and Legacy of Anti-Blackness 219

Chapter 17 Evagrius Ponticus on Love of Money 235

Chapter 18 Basil of Caesarea Preaches to the Wealthy in a Time of Natural Disaster 249

Chapter 19 Against Predatory Lending 261

Chapter 20 John Chrysostom's Critique of Golden Cups 277

Chapter 21 Gregory of Nyssa's Witness Against Slavery 291

Chapter 22 Jerome on Sex, Money, and the Holy Poor 307

Chapter 23 A Pelagian Monk Says Enough Already 321

Chapter 24 Augustine, the Good Steward of Wealth and Power 337

Conclusion A Retelling of the Parable of the Unjust Steward 353

About the Author 359

About Forward Movement 360

Editorial Reviews

In The Unjust Steward, Miguel Escobar offers a series of moving and insightful reflections on how wealth and poverty, inequality, and economic justice are treated in the biblical and early church theological tradition. By taking us from Jesus to Augustine, faith leaders will find many theological and biblical resources for deepening their congregations' discussions on issues of wealth and poverty. Through its thorough scholarship and insightful reflections this book is a call to action from unexpected voices, the early church fathers. This book is an absolute must read for anyone who has ever wondered what the Bible really says about economic injustice and the wealth gap.
Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean, Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary

Here is a book that inspires, yes, but also challenges and unsettles all who would take seriously Jesus's Way of Love. Weaving together words of wisdom from spiritual giants of early Christianity with profound reflections from his own life, Miguel Escobar pulls back the curtain of wealth and poverty to reveal our longstanding complicity with systems of injustice and calls us to make better, more humane choices, reflective of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, that can change the world.
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, XXVII Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and author of Love is the Way

From the Publisher