Abstract:
In this article poverty in the world of the New Testament is explained in
the light of the social dynamics of the first century Eastern Mediterranean.
The focus is on the sub-culture of the disreputable poor. Features
of a culture of poverty are reflected upon from a social-scientific perspective
in order to try to understand why poverty is intensifying in South
Africa today. The article aims at identifying guidelines for Christians in
using the New Testament in a profound way to challenge the threat of
poverty. The following aspects are discussed: the underdevelopment of
third-world societies over against the technical evolution in first-world
societies during the past two hundred years, economic statistics with regard
to productivity and unemployment in South Africa, the social identity
of the disreputable poor, poverty within the pre-print culture of the
biblical period, and the church as the household of God where Christians
should have compassion for others.
