Abstract

The purpose of this article was to compare Jerome’s and Augustine’s sermons on the fifth book of the Psalms with regard to their views on the rich and the poor. After a brief consideration of the different audiences of Jerome and Augustine, we focused on their attitudes to wealth and poverty, and almsgiving and its relationship to eschatology. In both Jerome’s and Augustine’s commentaries we were confronted with problems regarding the nature of the collections, the composition of the audiences, and a lack of overlap between the two works, but it was possible to discern congruences and differences in their exegesis. In their preaching on poverty and riches, both homilists associated Judas with the devil and wealth. With regard to the identification of Christ and the poor, Jerome offers a somewhat uneasy exegesis in explaining that Christ stands at the right hand of the pauper, although the Lord himself is rich. Augustine mentioned the identification of Christ and the poor a few times in Enarrationes in Psalmos and framed the poverty of Christ within the body of the church, emphasising the common humanity of his congregation. In his sermons, mainly delivered to monks, Jerome advocated total renunciation. Augustine made more allowances for human frailty, advocating partial and gradual dispossession. The Songs of Ascent provided both our authors with the opportunity to consider the place of almsgiving in an eschatological context. Contribution: We investigate the views of two prominent Latin fathers on wealth and poverty in their sermons on Psalms 109–150. The focus on wealth and poverty is evident. Judas is identified with the rich and Christ with the poor, placing Christ and riches against each other in an either/or position.

Highlights

  • The purpose of this article is to compare Jerome’s and Augustine’s sermons on the fifth book of the Psalms1 with regard to their views on the rich and the poor.2 Within this book, Psalms 119–133 were known in the Jewish tradition as Songs of Ascent or of the Steps, called in scholarly literature Pilgrim Songs

  • We have homilies from Jerome on 26 Psalms in the fifth book and some of them contain no information on poverty or wealth

  • In order to discuss our theme within the limited scope of an article, after a brief consideration of the audiences for whom Jerome and Augustine wrote, our primary focus will be on the following aspects: our authors’ attitudes to (1) wealth and poverty, and (2) almsgiving and its relationship to eschatology

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Summary

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to compare Jerome’s and Augustine’s sermons on the fifth book of the Psalms with regard to their views on the rich and the poor. Within this book, Psalms 119–133 were known in the Jewish tradition as Songs of Ascent or of the Steps, called in scholarly literature Pilgrim Songs. The purpose of this article is to compare Jerome’s and Augustine’s sermons on the fifth book of the Psalms with regard to their views on the rich and the poor.. We have homilies from Jerome on 26 Psalms in the fifth book and some of them contain no information on poverty or wealth. Augustine for his part commented on Psalms 109–113 (the last one twice), 114–117, 118 (32 times), and 120–150 (in general, see Fiedrowicz, 1997). There is a considerable disparity between their treatment of the Psalms in their surviving sermons, only 25 Psalms being covered by both of them.. There is a considerable disparity between their treatment of the Psalms in their surviving sermons, only 25 Psalms being covered by both of them. In order to discuss our theme within the limited scope of an article, after a brief consideration of the audiences for whom Jerome and Augustine wrote, our primary focus will be on the following aspects: our authors’ attitudes to (1) wealth and poverty, and (2) almsgiving and its relationship to eschatology

Objectives
Conclusion

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