Synopses & Reviews
It has long been acknowledged that Jews and Christians distinguished themselves through charity to the poor.and#160;Though ancient Greeks and Romans were also generous, they funded theaters and baths rather than poorhouses and orphanages.and#160;How might we explain this difference?and#160;In this significant reappraisal of charity in the biblical tradition, Gary Anderson argues that the poor constituted the privileged place where Jews and Christians met God.and#160;Though concerns for social justice were not unknown to early Jews and Christians, the poor achieved the importance they did primarily because they were thought to be andldquo;living altars,andrdquo; a place to make a sacrifice, a loan to God that he, as the ultimate guarantor, could be trusted to repay in turn.and#160;Contrary to the assertions of Reformation and modern critiques, belief in a heavenly treasury was not just about self-interest.and#160;Sifting through biblical and postbiblical texts, Anderson shows how charity affirms the goodness of the created order; the world was created through charity and therefore rewards it.
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Praise for
Sin:
“Astonishing . . . compelling. . . . This book merits wide and sustained attention. . . . There are few books available that offer as many generative insights as this one.”—Walter Brueggemann, Christian Century
Walter Brueggemann
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“Gary Anderson brilliantly illuminates the true place of almsgiving in the biblical and post-biblical tradition. His extraordinary, bold book changes entire fields of Christian theology and biblical scholarship once and for all.”—Matthew Levering, University of Dayton
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and#8220;Characteristically learned and wide-ranging, this book is a fascinating and timely call to revisit inherited assumptions about the sacramental connection between grace and charity.and#8221;and#8212; Markus Bockmuehl, University of Oxford
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"The award-winning author of Sin: A History provides another must-read for lay reader and scholar alike."and#8212;Publishers Weekly, starred review
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and#8220;Wide-ranging and engagingand#8221;and#8212;Matthew L. Skinner, Christian Century
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“Ambitious . . . formidable . . . remarkably lucid . . . Even specialists will benefit from these arguments.”—Greg Carey, Christian Century Christian Century
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and#8220;Unquestionably learned [and] insightful. . . . An encouraging work of interreligious scholarship.and#8221;and#8212;John P. Langan, America
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Won an Award of Merit for the 2014 Christianity Today Book Award competition in the category of Biblical Studies.
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and#8220;[Anderson's] study . . .andnbsp;persuasively emphasises the spiritual and theological value of charitable works and may deepen the commitment of readers to embrace and#8216;all peoples and all needsand#8217; within the divine economy of charity.and#8221;and#8212;Hilmar M. Pabel, The Tablet
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One of the 10 Best Religion Books Of 2013 Hilmar M. Pabel - The Tablet
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and#8220;Ambitious . . . formidable . . . remarkably lucid."and#8212;Greg Carey, Christian Century
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Named one of the 10 Best Religion Books of 2013 by Religion News Service
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“Accessible, engaging, yet impressively learned, Charity will reward a wide range of readers—religious and secular, Jewish and Christian, scholarly and lay alike. Enthusiastically recommended!”—Jon D. Levenson, Harvard University
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“With rich detail and sophisticated analysis, Anderson makes clear that despite superficial similarities, biblical care for the poor is a much more robust and ambitious undertaking than charity’s diminished modern forms.”
—Michael C. Legaspi, First Things
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and#8220;Gary Andersonandnbsp;brilliantly illuminatesandnbsp;the true place ofandnbsp;almsgiving in the biblical and post-biblical tradition. His extraordinary, bold bookandnbsp;changesandnbsp;entire fieldsandnbsp;of Christian theology and biblical scholarshipandnbsp;once and for all.and#8221;and#8212;Matthew Levering, University of Dayton
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Finalist for the 2014 American Academy of Religion Awards for Excellence in the Study of Religion, in the textual studies category.
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andldquo;Of interest to a wide range of readers . . . intellectually rich . . . engaging . . . [an] expert and stimulating work.andrdquo;andmdash;Timothy J. Sandoval, Review of Biblical Literature
Review
andquot; . . . Most engaging book both for Jewish-Christian and Roman Catholic-Protestant biblical and theological dialogue. It evinces engaged and laudable wrestling with biblical theology. The book is challenging and charming, full of riches that do profit. If you liked Sin, you will love Charity.andquot;andmdash;Bonnie Thurston, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly
Synopsis
A leading biblical scholar places charity back at the heart of the Judeo-Christian tradition, arguing for its biblical roots
About the Author
Gary A. Anderson is Hesburgh Professor of Catholic Theology, University of Notre Dame. His most recent book, the critically acclaimed Sin: A History, won a Christianity Today Book Award. He lives in South Bend, IN.