EconomicsofFaithexaminestheroleofreligiousleadersinthedevelopmentofpoorreliefinstitutionsinearlymodernEurope.Aspreachers,policymakers,advocates,andcommunityleaders,thesereformersofferedanewinterpretationofsalvationandgoodworksthatprovidedthereligiousfoundationforpoorreliefreform.Althoughpovertywasonceassociatedwiththereligiousimageofpiety,reformersnolongersawitasaspiritualvirtue.Rathertheyconsideredsocialwelfarereformtobeanintegralpartofreligiousreformandworkedtomodifyexistingpoorreliefinstitutionsortosetupnewones.Populationgrowth,economiccrises,andmigrationinearlymodernEuropecausedpovertyandbeggingtobeanever-increasingconcern,andreligiousleadersencouragedthedevelopmentandexpansionofpoorreliefinstitutions.Thisnewcadreofreformersservedascatalysts,organizers,stabilizers,andconsolidatorsofstrategiestoalleviatepoverty,themostglaringsocialproblemofearlymodernsociety.Althoughdifferentrolesemergedfromvaryingrelationshipsandnegotiationswithlocalpoliticalauthoritiesandcitycouncils,reform-mindedministersandlayleadersshapedavarietyofinstitutionstoaddresstheproblemofpovertyandtopromotesocialandcommunalresponsibility.AsreligiousoptionsmultipliedwithinChristianity,one’sunderstandingofcommunitydeterminedtheboundaries,albeitcontestedandsometimesfluid,ofresponsiblepoorrelief.Thisgoalofcommunalcarewouldbeespeciallyrelevantforreligiousrefugeeswhoasforeignersandstrangersbecameresponsibleforcaringfortheirowngroup.
organizers ECONOMICS ONE REFORM FAITH
