Engaging New Institutional Economics with New Testament Studies - by Alex Hon Ho Ip (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book bridges economics and biblical scholarship, challenging the misconception that economics is limited to neo-classical models. Through detailed examples, the book demonstrates the value of New Institutional Economics in analyzing the economic landscape of the Roman Empire and its influence on New Testament teachings.

Book Synopsis

In Engaging New Institutional Economics with New Testament Studies: Methods and Case Studies on Wealth, Poverty, Economic Relationships, and Material Culture, the intersection of economics and biblical scholarship takes center stage, offering a groundbreaking approach to understanding the economic underpinnings of the New Testament. This book explores how the vast economic landscape of the Roman Empire shaped early Christian communities, delving into themes of wealth, poverty, and material culture through the lens of New Institutional Economics (NIE). The book also conducts a thorough literature review, addressing a common misunderstanding rooted in the confusing use of the term "economics." Many scholars have narrowly assumed that economics refers exclusively to neo-classical economics. However, this work deliberately advocates for the merits of NIE, demonstrating how it offers a more nuanced framework for analyzing the economic realities of the ancient world and their impact on New Testament narratives. Through detailed case studies, including an analysis of wealth possession in the Gospel of Luke, the book illustrates how NIE can unlock new insights into the New Testament's engagement with economic structures. Far from being merely an academic exercise, this book argues that the New Testament offers profound wisdom for navigating the ethical and moral complexities of economic behavior in the modern world. Scholars and readers alike will find a valuable resource for exploring the rich, yet often overlooked, economic dimensions of the New Testament.

Review Quotes

"With his excellent grasp of the new institutional economics and his in-depth understanding of the Gospel of Luke, the author is able to demonstrate how fruitful an economic perspective is in interpreting the New Testament. His insights make the reader want more of this kind of interdisciplinary interpretation. The approach is not merely a matter of understanding in the author's view, but is intended to bring about change in the readers' appreciation of their economic responsibilities as well." --Adela Yarbro Collins, Yale University Divinity School

"In this study Alex Hon Ho Ip challenges the consensus assumption in New Testament scholarship that economics played little or no role in the development of early Christianity. Ip argues instead that economics played a formative role in the practices, beliefs, and literature of the early churches. Using New Institutional Economics as a framework, Ip lays out practical steps for interpreters and shows the relevance of his approach for research in gospel literature, in Pauline texts, in Acts, and beyond. Ip's discussions of the themes of poverty, unequal resource distribution, slaves and masters in Christian households, institutional power, and justice provide scholars with much to reconsider about ancient and contemporary worlds." --Steven J. Friesen, The University of Texas at Austin

"Alex Hon Ho Ip's monograph is a significant and innovative "clearing-of-the decks" in economic studies of the New Testament. Ip incisively critiques previous economic approaches and their limitations, convincingly setting out the importance of his alternative methodology provided by the discipline of New Institutional Economics. The rich results of Ip's arguments coalesce in a series of striking case studies on Lukan wealth, possessions, and poverty in the wider context of Roman Empire studies, perceptions of grief in Philippians, and slave-master relationships in Philemon. A treasure trove of new exegetical, social, and economic insights for New Testament scholars." --James R. Harrison, Sydney College of Divinity

About the Author

Alex Hon Ho Ip is associate professor at the Divinity School of Chung Chi College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.