How concerned was Jesus about the social, economic, cultural, and political issues that are so vitally important to us and occupy so much of our mental space? The answer is surprising. First some (probably unexpected) background. As a Jewish peasant in early first-century rural Aramaic-speaking Galilee, Jesus would not have known about Greek Stoics or their philosophical views.  He nonetheless appears to have shared a perspective with them, one that is a bit unexpected.  Like them, he was completely indifferent to a number of issues most people find deeply relevant and important, including fundamental questions connected with governmental policies and religious practices. Stoics insisted that a person’s happiness depended on maintaining an internal state of peace and calm, undisturbed by external events and circumstances.  There are only so many things that a person can control in their life.  Those are the things they should focus on.  Anyone who worries about things over which they have no control creates unnecessary stress and anxiety.  So it is best to distance yourself, simply not to be [...]

I don’t recall hearing or reading anyone make the case that Jesus and his disciples survived during their time of itinerant ministry by foraging.  But it’s an idea that makes a good bit of sense and there is some evidence for it in the Gospels. In this post I explain why it seems to make sense; I’ll deal with some of the evidence in the next post.  Let me say I’ve only started thinking and reading about all this – so this is my first attempt to articulate my thoughts (at this point). In most developed countries today, foraging is a hobby that outdoorsy and environmentally minded people pick up through books and live instruction, practiced more as a pastime or a social statement than as a mode of survival.  In large part that’s because we live in capitalist societies, principally in cities and towns, and most of us can purchase about anything we want from a store.  Those who do need or choose to scavenge tend not to do so in isolated [...]

How did Jesus and his disciples support themselves?  They left their families, homes, and jobs, to engage in a life of itineracy, preaching about the coming kingdom.  But until it came, how did they survive?  Specifically, how did they eat? I don’t recall ever seeing any extended discussion of the question in a scholarly (or a popular) book or article.  If one of you has, let me know.  It seems like an obvious question, and I suppose most people think there is an obvious answer.  There may be (I can think of three), but it’s worth thinking about in greater depth. One very BIG problem about understanding the historical Jesus (I confront this all the time) is that nearly everyone (including lots of scholars) seems to assume that modern common sense – both in our minds and our actions – would have been common sense in the time and place of Jesus.  And so scholars (and people who read them) talk about Jesus being middle class, or having a summer home around Bethlehem, [...]

Of all the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament, the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30; the same parable, with important differences, is the Parable of the Pounds in Luke 19:11-27), in my view, is the one most amenable to a capitalist interpretation – easily and often seen as an exhortation to invest one’s money to make money, at the highest possible rate. Even so, this, in my calculation (!), would be a serious misreading of the parable.  It is indeed a parable that discusses money and investment at interest.  But it is not about that at all. I’ll explain. But first, by way of summary (recall: a talent not a personal ability but a large unit of money): A man goes on a long journey and entrusts money to three of his slaves: five talents to one, two to another, one to the third.  The first two invest the money at interest and double what they received.  When the man returns, he showers them with praise for their stewardship.  The third slave, however, [...]