This book gathers scholars from the three major monotheistic religions to discuss the issue of poverty and wealth from the varied perspectives of each tradition. It provides a cadre of values inherent to the sacred texts of Jews, Christians, and Muslims and illustrates how these values may be used to deal with current economic inequalities. Contributors use the methodologies of religious studies to provide descriptions and comparisons of perspectives from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on poverty and wealth. The book presents citations from the sacred texts of all three religions. The contributors discuss the interpretations of these texts and the necessary contexts, both past and present, for deciphering the stances found there. Poverty and Wealth in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam identifies and details a foundation of common values upon which individual and institutional decisions may be made.
Introduction Part I: Personifications of Poverty and Wealth Chapter 1: Reading Job 19:2-22: A Symbolic-Interactionist View of Poverty Chapter 2: The Story of Qarun (Korah) in the Qur"an and Its Importance for our Times Chapter 3: Mughal Munificence: Care and Concern for the Poor in Islamic Hindustan from Tuladan to the Taj Chapter 4: Mary"s Magnificat: the Anawim and Church on the Margins Part II: Doctrines about Poverty and Wealth Chapter 5: Socioeconomic and Gender Justice in the Qur"an: Modern Challenges Chapter 6: Gospel Readings on Poverty and Affluence in Most Eastern and Western Churches Chapter 7: Orthodox Christianity and Islam on Economic Justice: Universal Ideals and Contextual Challenges in Russia Part III: Spiritual Traditions about Poverty and Wealth Chapter 8: From Possessio to Paupertas: The Emergence of Religious Poverty as a Critical Spiritual Component of Medieval Christianity Chapter 9: Poverty, Wealth and the Doctrine of Al-Fana" in the
Qur"an Chapter 10: Prophetic Ethics As Monotheistic Spirituality Chapter 11: Christian Ethics: the "Non-Person" and the Insights of Liberation Theology for a Twentieth-First Century World Chapter 12: A Spirituality for Rich and Poor: Contemporary Catholic Ideals for Economic Justice Part IV: Sharing Our Wealth Chapter 13: Geography-Based Giving in Jewish Tradition Chapter 14: Poverty and Wealth in Islam"s Sacred Texts Chapter 15: Overflowing Riches: Generosity, Divine and Human Conclusion
