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The Bible and the 'Holy Poor' - From the Tanakh to Les Miserables (Hardcover)
Loot Price: R3,875
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The Bible and the 'Holy Poor' - From the Tanakh to Les Miserables (Hardcover)
Series: Routledge Jewish Studies Series
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
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The Hebrew Bible is the main legislative and literary influence on
European Poor Law and on literature on poverty and the poor. No
extant literature from the ancient world placed more importance
upon social welfare and the duty of the better-off toward the poor.
It is the founding text for liberation movements. This book
assesses why the Bible is so unambiguously positive in its view of
the poor, unlike most later literary and legislative works. It
seeks to understand what historical circumstances brought about
this elevated perception of the poor, by exploring the clash of
ideals and realities in the depiction of the poor in the Hebrew
Bible and in European culture. Most legal and literary portrayals
of the poor tend to be critical, associating the poor with
laziness, crime or fraud: why is this not the case in the Bible?
Most societies have tended to accept poverty as a natural
condition, but not the Bible. The idea of ending poverty starts in
the Bible - the Psalms above all inspired a daily struggle to limit
the gap between rich and poor. Much of the Bible sees life - most
unusually in the history of civilizations - through the eyes of the
poor. The book argues that the popular appeal of the Bible in
largely impoverished societies lies in its persistent relevance to,
and support of, the poor. Yet, in many ways, biblical teachings
were incompatible with social and political circumstances centuries
and millennia later. Written in a clear, accessible style, the book
shows how the Hebrew Bible, in its legislation and impassioned
prophetic poetry, inspired the battle to 'make poverty history', to
give dignity and hope to the poor and fight inequality. It will
appeal to students and scholars of Jewish Studies, the Bible and
Comparative Literature, and Development Studies.
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