Opulence and Simplicity: The Question of Tension in Syrian Catholicism

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In various forms of Catholicism sacrifice holds a central position. The centrality of the divine sacrifice literally embodied in the sacrament of the Eucharist works in a wider sense as a model for action and thought outside the Church as a place for worship. Sacrifice here places the individual in various positions of moral debt that one can more-or-less willingly work towards suspending. In Damascus, Syria, a popular Catholic ethic of simplicity often collides with clergy who appear to collect money for this-worldly purposes or for the sake of what is perceived as their own benefit. Lamentation over such perceived opulence attests to a tension between grace, gift, and debt. This chapter explores such tension in attending to how moral personhood is fashioned through various engagements with prayer, surrender, and debt. Where David Morgan has argued for a particular Catholic sacrificial economy (2009), wherein individuals are placed in charged relationships, this chapter examines the inherent tension between simplicity and opulence. Catholicism, it argues, may very well work by asserting a particular emphasis on the holy office that appear opulent, which necessitates a counter-movement in the form of purification and work towards greater simplicity.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Anthropology of Catholicism: A Reader
EditorsKristin Norget, Valentina Napolitano, Maya Mayblin
Number of pages15
Place of PublicationBerkeley, CA
PublisherUniversity of California Press
Publication date27 Feb 2017
Pages155-169
Chapter12
ISBN (Print)0520288440, 978-0520288447
Publication statusPublished - 27 Feb 2017

ID: 169409848