A Spiritual Economy
Subtitle: Gift Exchange in the Letters of Paul of Tarsus
Series: Synkrisis: Comparative Approaches to Early Christianity in Greco-Roman Context
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 2017
Place of publication: New Haven
Format: hardcover
Number of pages: 246
ISBN-13: 9780300220407
Copyright date: 2017
Description: The exchange of gifts is a fundamental part of society and a foundational element in Greco-Roman religions. Combining theories of gift exchange, both modern and Greco-Roman, Thomas Blanton reveals how religious discourse—in the guise of “spiritual gifts” believed to come from Israel’s god—is instrumental in the formation of sociopolitical hierarchies and the assignment of honor and prestige. Blanton uses an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates religion, classics, sociology, and anthropology to investigate the economy of gift exchange shown in Paul’s letters.