Founding Visions

Under the veneer of Roman law in the ancient Mediterranean world, local and imperial associations dedicated to status, wealth, and camaraderie provided order in a social world often depicted as a gigantic body. The Roman Jew Paul promoted a hybrid form of group organization based on membership in the ideal body of Christ. This corporate ideal held members accountable to charitable practices that ran counter to the Roman glorification of wealth and status. As Roman authority stretched thinner and became increasingly brutal, Christian institutions inspired by Pauline corporatism acquired increasing prestige. With the help of bishops who managed their operations, these institutions became wealthier and more powerful, emerging by the end of the fourth century as mainstays of Roman rule.