Very good article, I especially like the charts outlining bullet points for folks who need a reminder of overall parts. I have occasionally studied Christian early history (Holy Roman Empire) and agree with this use of religious doctrine aligning with Capitalism's co-oping these ideas for social control. I sadly have see this play out in American life and fear for many with the coming of Magaism once again. Thank you again for your efforts!
Thanks. Its always difficult to know what to include and what to leave out, how formal or informal to approach the subject. I’ve been adding a lot of bullet points and tables lately - they often start out as notes for me, but I’ve ended up including many of them in the articles in the hope they’ll help others too.
Overall good article. As a Christian while I didn’t agree 100% (probably 90%) this is a great article for analyzing the distinctions and differences and impact of Capitalism’s impact on Christianity and how Capitalism will monetize even what is sacred and pure for its own ends. I look forward to the next article.
Thanks for your kind words. I tried to be respectful of sincere Christian beliefs, but criticise Capitalism for co-opting them. The next article tomorrow is more doctrinal, but hopefully also courteous.
It all started with the great power conflict between Persia and Egypt. Egypt was a socialist system (everything owned by the pharaoh) with a polytheistic religion. It was sustained by the predictability of the Nile. Persia was monotheistic and capitalist. After conquering Babylon, Persia established the kingdom of Judah and provided the Torah and other books written in the new Biblical Hebrew alphabet. Persia would go on to conquer Egypt, then Macedonia would conquer Greece and then Persia, and then the great power conflict would mutate into Rome vs. Parthia. Since Judah was in the Roman sphere of influence, Roman capitalism is significant to what was to come.
Mesopotamian capitalism had evolved the practice of Jubilee, the periodic forgiveness of debts, return of lands sold to pay debts, and freeing of people sold into slavery to pay debts. Roman capitalism never heard of Jubilee and didn't give a damn. Of course Jubilee is in the Torah. Looking ahead, Judea kept rebelling, and Rome would first destroy the major industry of Judea by destroying the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, then expel Jews from Jerusalem in 135 CE.
Prior to 135 CE Christianity was a sect of Judaism. The Church in Jerusalem kept kosher, and observed Yom Kippur. This means the church founded by Jesus's disciples didn't believe that Jesus died for their sins. It was also communist, and called itself The Poor. Of course that Church was expelled from Jerusalem along with the other Jews.
After 135 CE the Church in Rome starts to take leadership of the Christian churches. It compiles a Canon that would become the Bible, selecting from the numerous documents that had been written about Jesus during the previous century. And although it included the Torah and other Jewish books, it added new books that were antisemitic, including not keeping kosher and that Jesus died for our sins, and was God.
Now, because Rome had annexed Egypt to ensure Egyptian grain fed Rome, Rome started to experience outbreaks of the Black Death, as well as attacks by barbarians and civil wars. Finally the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity and made it the welfare system of the empire (the Christians had kept their communist practices while pagan religions were pay to pray, thus Christianity became popular). By the end of the 4th Century the Church had taken over the Roman Empire. But, since Christianity was no longer Jewish, the Christians lacked the resistance that had led to the Jewish rebellions, and it was converted to the Empire.
But the Church did make usury a mortal sin. Rome had changed from a Republic to an Empire because the wealthy, through rapacious finance, had choked off all economic growth except for the Roman Army. So the Army took over (emperor is Latin for field marshall). The Church, being responsible for welfare, saw that this was a problem. There was also a shortage of currency, since the Roman elites had sent a lot of gold and silver east to buy silks, ceramics and spices. Thus the changes that led to the dark ages, including the end of slavery (see David Graeber's Debt).
Excellent! Relevant and timely, educational.
Very good article, I especially like the charts outlining bullet points for folks who need a reminder of overall parts. I have occasionally studied Christian early history (Holy Roman Empire) and agree with this use of religious doctrine aligning with Capitalism's co-oping these ideas for social control. I sadly have see this play out in American life and fear for many with the coming of Magaism once again. Thank you again for your efforts!
Thanks. Its always difficult to know what to include and what to leave out, how formal or informal to approach the subject. I’ve been adding a lot of bullet points and tables lately - they often start out as notes for me, but I’ve ended up including many of them in the articles in the hope they’ll help others too.
Overall good article. As a Christian while I didn’t agree 100% (probably 90%) this is a great article for analyzing the distinctions and differences and impact of Capitalism’s impact on Christianity and how Capitalism will monetize even what is sacred and pure for its own ends. I look forward to the next article.
Thanks for your kind words. I tried to be respectful of sincere Christian beliefs, but criticise Capitalism for co-opting them. The next article tomorrow is more doctrinal, but hopefully also courteous.
It all started with the great power conflict between Persia and Egypt. Egypt was a socialist system (everything owned by the pharaoh) with a polytheistic religion. It was sustained by the predictability of the Nile. Persia was monotheistic and capitalist. After conquering Babylon, Persia established the kingdom of Judah and provided the Torah and other books written in the new Biblical Hebrew alphabet. Persia would go on to conquer Egypt, then Macedonia would conquer Greece and then Persia, and then the great power conflict would mutate into Rome vs. Parthia. Since Judah was in the Roman sphere of influence, Roman capitalism is significant to what was to come.
Mesopotamian capitalism had evolved the practice of Jubilee, the periodic forgiveness of debts, return of lands sold to pay debts, and freeing of people sold into slavery to pay debts. Roman capitalism never heard of Jubilee and didn't give a damn. Of course Jubilee is in the Torah. Looking ahead, Judea kept rebelling, and Rome would first destroy the major industry of Judea by destroying the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, then expel Jews from Jerusalem in 135 CE.
Prior to 135 CE Christianity was a sect of Judaism. The Church in Jerusalem kept kosher, and observed Yom Kippur. This means the church founded by Jesus's disciples didn't believe that Jesus died for their sins. It was also communist, and called itself The Poor. Of course that Church was expelled from Jerusalem along with the other Jews.
After 135 CE the Church in Rome starts to take leadership of the Christian churches. It compiles a Canon that would become the Bible, selecting from the numerous documents that had been written about Jesus during the previous century. And although it included the Torah and other Jewish books, it added new books that were antisemitic, including not keeping kosher and that Jesus died for our sins, and was God.
Now, because Rome had annexed Egypt to ensure Egyptian grain fed Rome, Rome started to experience outbreaks of the Black Death, as well as attacks by barbarians and civil wars. Finally the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity and made it the welfare system of the empire (the Christians had kept their communist practices while pagan religions were pay to pray, thus Christianity became popular). By the end of the 4th Century the Church had taken over the Roman Empire. But, since Christianity was no longer Jewish, the Christians lacked the resistance that had led to the Jewish rebellions, and it was converted to the Empire.
But the Church did make usury a mortal sin. Rome had changed from a Republic to an Empire because the wealthy, through rapacious finance, had choked off all economic growth except for the Roman Army. So the Army took over (emperor is Latin for field marshall). The Church, being responsible for welfare, saw that this was a problem. There was also a shortage of currency, since the Roman elites had sent a lot of gold and silver east to buy silks, ceramics and spices. Thus the changes that led to the dark ages, including the end of slavery (see David Graeber's Debt).