BeyondWealthBeyond Wealth Orthodoxy, Capitalism, and the Gospel of Wealth Christ driving the Moneychangers from the Temple (From a fresco at the Dečani Monastery, Serbia)

Beyond WealthOrthodoxy, Capitalism, and

the Gospel of Wealth

Christ driving the Moneychangers from the Temple(From a fresco at the Dečani Monastery, Serbia)

Kyriakos Dounetas

CENTER FOR TRADITIONALIST ORTHODOX STUDIES

Beyond Wealth Orthodoxy, Capitalism, and the Gospel of Wealth

Kyriakos Dounetas

The disdain for riches is well known in almost all religious and philosophi-cal traditions. Too often though, the matter is treated within an ethical or an ideological context, while neglecting its existential causes and effects. In reality, man rarely finds comfort in moral values and concepts when his sur-vival is at stake, and when confronted by immediate needs, his noble aspira-tions quickly yield to his baser instincts. Even though the ancient Greeks viewed wealth as residing at an ethical level lower than that of philosophy, they fully acknowledged its practical value. ...If, for the Orthodox Christian, the destiny of man is the perfection of his relationship with God in deifi-cation or theosis (ϑέωσις), then the critical issue must be how wealth and possessions affect this goal. Today, when we are influenced by countless phi-losophies and religions (mostly of western origin), we must carefully discern between Orthodox theology and that of western confessions, giving special attention to the existential character of necessity. We must also deal with the question of unbridled capitalism and greed, which have assumed an as-tonishingly pervasive character globally and has even infiltrated the life of Orthodox communities. As we shall see, the need for earthly security, mani-fested in the quest for riches, is but a symptom of the existential sickness from which mankind suffers on account of sin and death. Its cure is found in the Tradition of the Orthodox Church, where one encounters the Risen Christ and where necessity is replaced by an immediate and loving relation-ship with God. This essay draws from the teachings of the Holy Fathers, and especially from the numerous incisive and eloquent homilies of St. John Chrysostom. It attempts to describe the frame of mind or phronema of the Orthodox Church towards wealth and necessity. It attempts not to judge or condemn anyone for any particular opinion held or decision made, but rather to show a manner of living that befits one’s dignity as a being made in God’s image. From the Introduction

ISBN 978‒0‒911165‒81‒4

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Beyond Wealth



Kyriakos Dounetas

Etna, California2009

Another C.T.O.S. publication on this subject:

Weal and Poverty in e Teachings of e Church Fhersby Father James ornton

Library of Congress Control Number2009924980

© 2009Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies

International Standard Book Number978‒0‒911165‒81‒4

About the Author

Kyriakos Doun was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Heholds a B.Sc. degree in Engineering Science from the University ofWestern Ontario and is engaged in telecommunications systems re-search and development. He is the author of numerous electronicsresearch papers and designs.

An Orthodox Christian of Greek descent, Mr. Dounetas hasalso done significant avocational study in Orthodox theology andthe Church’s Patristic and ascetical writing. He is a protegé of thedistinguished scholar Dimitri Kitsikis, Professor of History Emeri-tus at the University of Ottawa and a Fellow of the Royal Society ofCanada.

A promising and important young voice in Orthodox scholar-ship, Mr. Dounetas has contributed numerous essays to the cele-brated Greek intellectual quarterly Ἐνδιάμεση Περιοχή (IntermediateRegion), published in Athens by the Dimitri Kitsikis Public Foun-dation. Beyond Wealth is his first major book.

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

1. e Reign of Necessity 112. e Tyranny of Wealth 153. Death Is Destroyed with Its Own Weapons 184. Almsgiving Makes God a Debtor 205. Abundance in Poverty 226. Serving in Freedom 287. Scholasticism and Civilisation 308. Protestant Scholasticism 419. e Religion of Greed 5410. e Gospel of Wealth 5811. e Abuse of the Worker 6212. Is Charging Interest Forbidden? 6413. Conclusions and Recommendations 76

Endnotes 81Index of Names 97

Introduction

“THE RICH MAN dies only once, but the poor man dies everyday.” To this contemporary Greek saying, Saint John Chrysostomwould surely respond much as he did in the fourth century: “De-spise riches, maintain the poor, and be ready to die every day forChrist.”1

e disdain for riches is well known in almost all religious andphilosophical traditions. Too oen though, the matter is treatedwithin an ethical or an ideological context, while neglecting its ex-istential causes and effects. In reality, man rarely finds comfort inmoral values and concepts when his survival is at stake, and whenconfronted by immediate needs, his noble aspirations quickly yieldto his baser instincts. Even though the ancient Greeks viewed wealthas residing at an ethical level lower than that of philosophy, they fullyacknowledged its practical value. According to Aristotle, when thepoet Simonides was asked which is better, to be wise or to be rich, hereplied: “Rich, for I oen see the wise spending their time at thedoors of the rich” (Rhoric 2:16).

If, for the Orthodox Christian, the destiny of man is the per-fection of his relationship with God in deificion or eos (ϑέωσις),then the critical issue must be how wealth and possessions affect thisgoal. Today, when we are influenced by countless philosophies andreligions (mostly of western origin), we must carefully discern be-tween Orthodox theology and that of western confessions, givingspecial attention to the existential character of necessity. We mustalso deal with the question of unbridled capitalism and greed, whichhave assumed an astonishingly pervasive character globally and haseven infiltrated the life of Orthodox communities. As we shall see,the need for earthly security, manifested in the quest for riches, isbut a symptom of the existential sickness from which mankind suf-

10 Beyond Weal

fers on account of sin and death. Its cure is found in the Tradition ofthe Orthodox Church, where one encounters the Risen Christ andwhere necessity is replaced by an immediate and loving relationshipwith God.

is essay draws from the teachings of the Holy Fathers, and es-pecially from the numerous incisive and eloquent homilies of St.John Chrysostom. It attempts to describe the frame of mind orphronema of the Orthodox Church towards wealth and necessity. Itattempts not to judge or condemn anyone for any particular opinionheld or decision made, but rather to show a manner of living thatbefits one’s dignity as a being made in God’s image.

1. e Reign of Necessity

In Paradise, necessity did not exist and Adam reigned over creationwithout a thought concerning survival.2 He reigned freely, butnot independently. Adam’s life, even his existence, depended on hisimmediate, personal relationship with God. is is realised throughcommunion with God’s divine energies, which permeate all of cre-ation and sustain its existence.3 Although God is unknowable andincommunicable in essence, He can be experienced and known byman directly through His energies, which proceed naturally fromHis essence. St. Basil the Great writes: “But we say that we know ourGod from the energies, but we are unable to draw near to Hisessence. e energies descend toward us, but His essence remainsunapproachable.”4

e extent to which the energies are experienced determines thelevel of progress towards regaining one’s freedom from the needs de-termined by his nature. e highest level is union with God, alsoknown as deificion or eos. St. Maximos the Confessor writes:

is union presupposes a transcending of all that, by nature, is essen-tially limited by an origin and a consummation. Such transcendence iseffected by the almighty and more than powerful energy of God, act-ing in a direct and infinite manner in the person worthy of this tran-scendence. e action of this divine energy bestows a more thanineffable pleasure and joy on him, in whom the unutterable and un-fathomable union with the divine is accomplished. is, in the natureof things, cannot be perceived, conceived or expressed.5

e grace of God, so oen mentioned in Scripture, is understood torefer to the divine energies.6

Man in communion with God does not realise death and ne-cessity. ough dependent on God, he is in no way oppressed; rather,he is called to become by grace that which God is by nature: eternal,



Christ driving the Moneychangers from the Temple(From a fresco at the Dečani Monastery, Serbia)

Kyriakos Dounetas

CENTER FOR TRADITIONALIST ORTHODOX STUDIES

Beyond Wealth Orthodoxy, Capitalism, and the Gospel of Wealth

Kyriakos Dounetas

The disdain for riches is well known in almost all religious and philosophi-cal traditions. Too often though, the matter is treated within an ethical or an ideological context, while neglecting its existential causes and effects. In reality, man rarely finds comfort in moral values and concepts when his sur-vival is at stake, and when confronted by immediate needs, his noble aspira-tions quickly yield to his baser instincts. Even though the ancient Greeks viewed wealth as residing at an ethical level lower than that of philosophy, they fully acknowledged its practical value. ...If, for the Orthodox Christian, the destiny of man is the perfection of his relationship with God in deifi-cation or theosis (ϑέωσις), then the critical issue must be how wealth and possessions affect this goal. Today, when we are influenced by countless phi-losophies and religions (mostly of western origin), we must carefully discern between Orthodox theology and that of western confessions, giving special attention to the existential character of necessity. We must also deal with the question of unbridled capitalism and greed, which have assumed an as-tonishingly pervasive character globally and has even infiltrated the life of Orthodox communities. As we shall see, the need for earthly security, mani-fested in the quest for riches, is but a symptom of the existential sickness from which mankind suffers on account of sin and death. Its cure is found in the Tradition of the Orthodox Church, where one encounters the Risen Christ and where necessity is replaced by an immediate and loving relation-ship with God. This essay draws from the teachings of the Holy Fathers, and especially from the numerous incisive and eloquent homilies of St. John Chrysostom. It attempts to describe the frame of mind or phronema of the Orthodox Church towards wealth and necessity. It attempts not to judge or condemn anyone for any particular opinion held or decision made, but rather to show a manner of living that befits one’s dignity as a being made in God’s image. From the Introduction

ISBN 978‒0‒911165‒81‒4

DO

UN

ETAS • B

EyON

D W

EALT

H

Documents

BeyondWealthBeyond Wealth Orthodoxy, Capitalism, and the Gospel of Wealth Christ driving the Moneychangers from the Temple (From a fresco at the Dečani Monastery, Serbia)