Symbolic Goods as Media of Exchange in Paul’s Gift Economy

Abstract

Using the concept of the “economy of symbolic goods” developed by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, this chapter shows how Paul construes linguistic “goods,” in the form of promises and assurances of gifts and benefits posited as proceeding from the god of Israel, as exchangeable with currency, material goods, and labor services within an ethic of reciprocity. Seneca the Younger uses the image of the dancing Graces to illustrate reciprocity. Paul’s letters indicate that he construes a benefit (charis) from the god of Israel as eliciting a countergift, whether in the mode of “paying it forward” by donating to a collection for the early Christian assembly in Jerusalem, or by “repaying” Paul himself through granting him the use of a slave, Onesimus.

The Cost of Baptism? The Case for Paul’s Ritual Compensation

“…In this section Paul makes the case for his labour being compensable (Blanton 2016: 49-50). Paul argues that he has a right to receive compensation by comparing his apostolic work to other forms of labour.…”

“… 21. Pace Blanton 2016: 57, who compares Paul to various ‘mercantile’ labourers whose work is recognized as compensated, but in describing the priest and prophet, Blanton describes their work as ‘sacred labour’ and writes that it is not compensated through wages. This is not the case with the (largely independent) ritual workers that I have described here, and it was not the case for various ‘institutionally affiliated’ ritual workers in the ancient world, as attested through inscriptional evidence in, for example, Asia Minor and Egypt.…”

“… 27. Blanton (2016: 54-56) argues that in his language Paul employs a model of market exchange, as this is the only context where remuneration can be considered a ‘right’ – calling it a ‘gift’ would undermine the right to profit. …”

“… 28. Blanton (2016: 41-60) makes this case, arguing that Paul is ‘reclassifying’ the exchange of the gospel from gift (reciprocated with hospitality) to commodity (in 1 Cor. 9) and back to gift. …”