Reassessing the Moral Economy : Religion and Economic Ethics from Ancient Greece to the 20th Century

This book examines the concept of moral economy originally established by E.P. Thompson, focusing on the impact of religious norms on economic practice. With each chapter discussing a different empirical case study, the interrelations of the economy and religion are explored from antiquity through to the 20th century. The long-term trajectory and comparative perspective allows for moral economy to be seen in relation to ancient Greek commerce, medieval pawn-broking, Christian and Jewish economic ethics, urban social politics during the Plague, the Jesuit mission in Paraguay, the Ottoman Empire, religion in modern American capitalism, and Catholic attitudes toward taxation. This book aims to provide insight into how moral thinking about the economy and economic practice has evolved from a long historic perspective. It will be relevant to students and researchers interested in economic history and cultural economics. Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures 1 Introduction: Reassessing Moral Economy Why Reassessing Moral Economy Aims of This Book Chapter Synopsis References Part I Antiquity and Middle Ages 2 The Popular Morality of Ancient Greek Commerce Introduction Private Welfare and Divine Intervention The Contingencies of Commerce Justice and Trust in the Marketplace The Religious Embeddedness of Commerce: Continuity and Change Bibliography 3 Early Medieval Property Transfers in Favour of the Church Between Religion and Economy Transferring the Concept of “Moral Economy” to the Early Middle Ages The Relevance of Religious and Economic Motives in Making Donations to the Church Possibilities and Limits of Determining Motives for Property Transfers in Favour of the Church The End of Embeddedness? On the Relevance of the Increasing Number of Transactions of Exchange from the Middle of the Ninth Century Onwards Conclusion References 4 Between Pietas and Usury: Dynamics of a Moral Economy in the Middle Ages Introduction Operationalising Moral Economy The Emergence of Christian Small-Scale Credit Embeddedness of Piety and Economy Programmatic Images Ritual and Performance Innovations Petrus Iohannis Olivi’s Treatise De Contractibus The Monte as Depositum Apostolicum in Annio da Viterbo’s Questiones Feedback Effects Conclusion References 5 Past the Limits of Usury: Jews and the Moral Economy of Moneylending in the Late Medieval German Territories Introduction Usury, Moneylending, and Jews’ Involvement in the Medieval Economy Between Jews and Christians Within the Jewish Community Conclusion References 6 Fiscality, Debt, and Moral Economy: The View from Florentine Civic Chronicles Introduction Fiscality and Usury Prices, Investment Behaviour, and Ethics A Regressive or Charitable Institution? Conclusion References Part II Early Modern Period 7 The Moral Economy of Epidemics: Emergency, Charitable Institutions and Poor Relief in Early Modern Italian Plague Regulations Introduction What Kind of Moral Economy? Discipline, but Not Just Punish Moral Bending Conclusion References 8 Moral Economists: The Jesuit Mission in Paraguay and the Idea of Economic Growth in Early Modern Times The Catholic Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism The Jesuits as “Moral Economists” Growth and Mission I: Harvesting the Souls Growth and Mission II: Harvesting the Fields Conclusions References 9 Profit Due to Christian Behaviour: The Moral Economy of the Moravian Church in the Eighteenth Century Introduction Missionary Work as Main Task: A Short Introduction to the Moravian Church “Commerce that Jesus Could Approve”. The Moral Economy of the Moravian Church Debates on Profit and Sin at the General Synod of 1764 Watchmen for Bethlehem’s Moral Economy. The Commerce Conference in Bethlehem (1766–1768) “... Brotherly Love and Honesty in All Their Dealings”. Christian Behaviour as a Competitive Advantage Summary References Part III Modern Period 10 Negotiating Religion, Moral Economy and Economic Ideas in the Late Ottoman Empire: Perspectives of Peasants and the Intelligentsia Introduction Capitalism and Moral Economy Peasants and Moral Economy Intelligentsia, Economics and Religion “Backwardness” and Ethics of Hard Work Conclusion References 11 Leading a “Simple” Life in Modern Capitalism. The Moral Economy of Mennonite Consumption in Mid-twentieth-century America Introduction What Does It Mean to Lead a Simple Life? Simplicity Challenged Discerning New Arrangements Conclusions References 12 Tax Morale and the Church: How Catholic Clergies Adapted Norms of Paying Taxes to Secular Institutions (1940s–1950s) Tax Morale in History Tax Payment and the Catholic Church Catholic Theologians and Taxes Since World War II: Three Case Studies The US Redemptorist Martin Timothy Crowe (1944) The West German Jesuit Oswald Von Nell-Breuning (1930, 1954, 1962) The Spanish Jesuit Joaquín Azpiazu Zulaica (1944/1952) Conclusion References 13 “Resort City? Why What Happened to Las Vegas, Sin City?”: Suburban America, Religious Groups, and the Moral Economy of Gambling in Las Vegas, 1945–1969 Introduction—“A Seeming Cloak of Respectability” Moral(izing) Economies Moralizing Gambling: Reimagining Gambling Through Spatial Arrangements Moralizing Gamblers: Economic Success in the Gambling Industry as a Path to Society for Marginalized Entrepreneurs Preserving the Moral Economy: Preserving Casinos as Leisure Spaces for the Suburban Middle Class Mormons as Facilitators of the Moral Economy: “How Can Good Mormons Be Involved Indirectly in Gaming?” Conclusion References Part IV Conclusion 14 Reassessing Moral Economies. Concluding Thoughts References Index