John Chrysostom’s Discourse on Property Ownership: An Analysis from the Perspective of Roman Law

Unlike the dominant but simplified view of previous scholarship that Chrysostom stands in opposition to Roman property law, his attitude towards law concerning ownership is quite complicated. Insisting on belief things are created for common use and God ultimate owner world, denies various modes acquisition approved by (inheritance, thesauri inventio, specificatio ) be righteous, when clarifying limited inferior human right over comparison with God, he never hesitates legal terms χρῆσις δεσποτεία. Moreover, based conviction worldly economic order derives from divine providence, confines enumeration shared mainly Res communes publicae or universitatis under persuades audience help those need wealth temporarily their stewardship. As a rhetorical strategy, Chrysostom’s manipulation language thought aimed promote almsgiving