This impressive project, a revised doctoral dissertation completed under the direction of Laura Nasrallah, introduces the term ‘theo-economics’ as an approach to understanding the ways in which the divine and profane engage in economic transactions. Quigley considers the separation of theology and economics as a reflex of modern academic categories, and not indicative of ancient social realities. Drawing from a rich theoretical foundation including new materialists, particularly Jane Bennett, as well the new institutionalism of Douglass North, Quigley argues that economic language is not merely metaphorical, but portrays the divine as actant players in economic transactions. Quigley models this approach with fresh readings of select passages in Philippians as a particularly tantalising text for assessing theo-economics.
The first chapter, ‘Theo-Economics in Antiquity’, presents a broad spectrum of evidence to demonstrate that ‘People took seriously the possibility of entering into financial relationships with the divine’ (p. 16). Quigley utilises Latin and Greek inscriptions from the second century bce to the fourth century ce, as well as material culture. She appropriately embeds religious components into economic spheres. Divine encounters regulated transactions in the commercial spaces, like the market agora. Similarly, cultic sites served as settings for economic activity with the divine directly engaged in exchange.
The second chapter, ‘The Venture of the Gospel’, considers this actant divine economic activity in readings of the Epistle to the Philippians. Quigley makes cogent arguments on the usage of koinōnia (especially Phil 1:5) as explicitly referring to an economic fellowship. She cites multiple Greek contracts that use the term within the setting of business ventures. In contrast to the epistle's deployment of term ekklēsia, the call to koinōnia presents a fellowship marked by relational commitments as well as interlocking economic expectations. The implications are significant in that Paul ‘not only asserts himself as the ultimate broker between the Philippians and God in the gospel venture but also leaves open the possibility for this community to understand itself as having a share in contributing to the gospel venture’ (p. 44). This wider idea of koinōnia necessitates an active engagement with the divine in economic ventures.
This economic analysis informs the third chapter, ‘The Christ Commodity’, which presents a theo-economic reading of Phil 3:7–11. The abundant accounting terminology within this passage (kerdos, zēmia, huperexō, heuriskō and koinōnia,) is not merely symbolic, but signals real economic activity. In effect, the passage commodifies Paul's suffering and even Christ. Suffering will be compensated in a way that is expected in such a partnership. But this economic activity upends expectations in economic practice. Loss is gain, and suffering will result in glory.
The fourth chapter, ‘The Down Payment of Righteousness’, examines the early reception of this idea within Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians. Quigley argues that Polycarp adopts this theo-economic reading of Philippians 3:7–11 and the suffering Christ as a commodity. She states, ‘For Polycarp, Christ's suffering is the down payment on righteousness for an impending judgment of Christ’ (p. 103). The concluding chapter presents a call for readings that will more fully appreciate the integration of economic and theological discourse within ancient texts. The book includes an appendix offering a new translation of Philippians, an integrated bibliography and indices of both general topics and ancient sources.
This book is quite an achievement. On an exegetical level, Quigley demonstrates an innovative interpretive method for passages in both Philippians and Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians. Her readings are informed by judicious philology and appropriate attention to comparative texts. This reviewer shares Quigley's concern regarding the artificial separation of theology and economics in modern approaches. In reality, the ancient world was an integrated world, and Quigley's readings are an important corrective that can be readily applied to many other biblical passages, such as Matthew's Sermon on the Mount or Amos’ ‘Oracles against the nations’. Quigley primarily deploys Greek and Latin texts in describing theo-economics at work. But the idea of theo-economics goes far beyond the world of these texts. As far back as the fourth millennium bce, accounting texts appear in proto-cuneiform within temple settings such as the Red Temple of Uruk. Accounting texts also appear in religious sites as diverse as Middle Kingdom mortuary sites of ancient Egypt, as well as Mycenean palace period ritual texts. The evidence from Qumran also warrants consideration. Overall, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the site of Khirbet Qumran appear to demonstrate integrated theo-economic concerns, with the sectarian texts eschewing wealth, but at the same time requiring an initiation fee at the equivalence of the ‘sanctuary shekel’ tax and a hoard of over 1,000 bronze Tyrian tetradrachmas.
These observations are not so much critiques of this project, but suggestions on widening the bounds of this type of study. For what it intends, the book is an exciting and innovative approach to reading these texts, and Quigley appropriately challenges our fragmented understanding of the ancient world.
