The Fields, Flocks, and Finances of Monks: Economic Life at Nestorian Monasteries, 500-850

The Fields, Flocks, and Finances of Monks: Economic Life at Nestorian Monasteries, 500-850Syriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/TV5UVMXV/tei

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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.Cynthia JanVillagomezThe Fields, Flocks, and Finances of Monks: Economic Life at Nestorian Monasteries, 500-850http://syriaca.org/cbss/TV5UVMXVhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/TV5UVMXVhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/TV5UVMXV1998Nestorian Monasteries of the East Syrian Orient are considered to be important economic institutions in late Sasanian and early Islamic times. Syriac and Arabic sources, including church and monastic histories, saints' lives, liturgies, synod rulings, and the letters of Church officials are used to describe economic life at Nestorian monasteries. These institutions are shown to provide examples of Nestorian commercial enterprise and communal ownership. It is demonstrated that Nestorian monasteries were actively involved in the production, exchange, and appropriation of wealth in the forms of cash, land, flocks, and precious objects, and occupied a central position within urban and rural economic networks. It is argued that Nestorian monasticism was pervaded by attitudes which called for the renunciation of personal wealth and luxurious living. However, these views did not negate the importance of communal economic assets and activities, but were balanced by the recognition of the need for monasteries to secure adequate economic resources for sustenance, and provision of charity to the needy. Beth 'Abhe is given special attention as a wealthy, powerful monastery in Sasanian and Islamic Iraq. Drawing upon information from The Book of Governors, written by Thomas of Marga in 840, Beth 'Abhe's economic prosperity is explained as a consequence of its relations with rich Persian Christian patrons, and effective economic management. Villagomez, Cynthia Jan. “The Fields, Flocks, and Finances of Monks: Economic Life at Nestorian Monasteries, 500-850.” Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles, 1998. Cynthia Jan Villagomez, The Fields, Flocks, and Finances of Monks: Economic Life at Nestorian Monasteries, 500-850 (Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles, 1998).IX CEMesopotamiaNestoriansSassaniansThomas of MargaVI CEVII CEVIII CEagricultureeconomicsmonasteriesmonastery of Bet Abhemonasticismwealth