Byzantine Philanthropy and Social Welfare (Studies in the Social and Religious History of the Medieval Greek World, Vol 1)

Rating:
Summary: Informative if dull
Review: Not a book to be read for pleasure, this one struck me as very modern despite its subject. The beliefs of many of the Saints discussed are still being bought forth by liberals in America while the conservative predecessors still exist, claiming all problems belong to the individual. The idea that the welfare state is a new idea is quickly disproven when one sees all the great social welfare works set forth in the Byzantine era. I would have liked some comparison to the modern situation but it remains pretty informative and useful, especially for history-loving folks.