Almsgiving in the Later Roman Empire

This is a book about the importance of gifts to the poor for Christians in the later Roman empire. It is about what was given, how it was given, who was helped, and how preachers sought to shape these practices. Above all, the book asks what it meant to give to the poor, the virtues it displayed, the role it played in articulating or challenging the standing of bishops, monks, and ordinary lay men and women.