A theological examination of the religious teaching on 'usury' within the three monotheistic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and its relevance for the world today
This thesis examines the teachings on 'usury' found within the holy scriptures of the three great monotheistic traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The definitions of the term 'usury' are examined within the three traditions, and the teachings that developed relating to it i.e. in the Talmudic interpretation of the Rabbis in the Judaic tradition; the early Church Fathers and Church Councils in the Christian tradition; and in the <I>hadith </I>literature and 'Schools of Law' in the Islamic tradition according to the consensus of the <I>ulama. </I>This thesis maintains that the religious teaching on 'usury' had a marked and different effect on the economic development within each of the three monotheistic communities. In Judaism, which always regarded as usurious <I>any </I>percentage taken as profit on a loan, an internal and external economic system developed which distinguished between the 'brother' and the 'other'. This evolved as a result of the Deuteronomic teaching which was intended to protect a vulnerable community about to enter its 'promised land'. It was a sign of God's covenantal relationship with his people who were to be protected from the idolatrous 'alien' they would encounter. In Christianity,
Buckley, Susan L.
Philosophy
A theological examination of the religious teaching on 'usury' within the three monotheistic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and its relevance for the world today. This thesis examines the teachings on 'usury' found within the holy scriptures of the three great monotheistic traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The definitions of the term 'usury' are examined within the three traditions, and the teachings that developed relating to it i.e. in the Talmudic interpretation of the Rabbis in the Judaic tradition; the early Church Fathers and Church Councils in the Christian tradition; and in the <I>hadith </I>literature and 'Schools of Law' in the Islamic tradition according to the consensus of the <I>ulama. </I>This thesis maintains that the religious teaching on 'usury' had a marked and different effect on the economic development within each of the three monotheistic communities. In Judaism, which always regarded as usurious <I>any </I>percentage taken as profit on a loan, an internal and external economic system developed which distinguished between the 'brother' and the 'other'. This evolved as a result of the Deuteronomic teaching which was intended to protect a vulnerable community about to enter its 'promised land'. It was a sign of God's covenantal relationship with his people who were to be protected from the idolatrous 'alien' they would encounter. In Christianity,
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