Tag: John Chrysostom
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The Nearly Invisible “Invisible Hand” in Adam Smith’s Work
Economic Historian Gavin Kennedy responds to a question from one of his readers about Adam Smith's use of the invisible hand metaphor. Smith used the metaphor once in "The Wealth of Nations" and once in "Theory of Moral Sentiments" (and also once in his "History of Astronomy.") On neither occasion was it used to refer…
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How Capitalism Widens Community and Individualism
I'm presently reading Jerry Muller's Capitalism and the Jews. It is a fascinating book, and I expect to blog more about it shortly. But for today, I thought I'd highlight this insightful passage where Muller is summarizing the ideas of sociologist Georg Simmel (1858-1918). While Simmel could at times echo the complaints of cultural pessimists…
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John Chrysostom was a Tea Party Republican
Okay. Not really. But still, John Couretas writes in a post at Acton PowerBlog (Chrysostom on the Poor): From On Living Simply, Sermon XLIII. (HT: American Orthodox Institute Observer, et al.): Should we look to kings and princes to put right the inequalities between rich and poor? Should we require soldiers to come and seize…
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John Chrysostom on Trade
From Justo Gonzalez's Faith and Wealth: A History of Early Christian Ideas on the Origin, Significance, and use of Money. Chrysostom’s theology is built on the presupposition of a greater continuity between creation and redemption than much later theology, especially Western, had. Thus mercy and mutual service are the mark of both being human and…