Towards a genealogy of wealth through an analysis of biblical discourses

Abstract

A primary concern of accounting is the determination of the financial position or “wealth” of an entity. Using an interpretive methodology adapted from Michel Foucault, this contribution seeks to develop a genealogy of wealth through an analysis of Biblical discourses pertaining to wealth. In particular, the article examines narratives depicting the life of Abraham as these relate to discourses about wealth. The objective is to explore ways in which the discourses changed between the Old and New Testaments. As Foucault might suggest, the “regime of truth” surrounding the idea of wealth has changed through time; there have been discontinuities and transformations. There have been periods in which wealth has been appreciated, and other periods in which wealth has been denigrated, particularly by religious authorities. In the Old Testament, Abraham's wealth was seen as a blessing from God, while in the New Testament, seeking after wealth was viewed as sinful. The article suggests several reasons for this transformation, including the influence of the writings of St. Paul on Christian morality and the emergence of self-forming activities which may have been associated with the development of the Church as the successor to the Roman Empire.

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