Jesus taught his fans that it really is more straightforward for a camel to head in the course of the eye of a needle than for a wealthy guy to go into heaven. but by way of the autumn of Rome, the church used to be turning into wealthy past degree. Through the attention of a Needle is a sweeping highbrow and social historical past of the vexing challenge of wealth in Christianity within the waning days of the Roman Empire, written through the world's preferable pupil of overdue antiquity.

Peter Brown examines the increase of the church in the course of the lens of cash and the demanding situations it posed to an establishment that espoused the advantage of poverty and referred to as avarice the foundation of all evil. Drawing at the writings of significant Christian thinkers akin to Augustine, Ambrose, and Jerome, Brown examines the controversies and altering attitudes towards funds attributable to the inflow of latest wealth into church coffers, and describes the stunning acts of divestment through wealthy donors and their turning out to be impact in an empire beset with concern. He exhibits how using wealth for the care of the bad competed with older sorts of philanthropy deeply rooted within the Roman global, and sheds gentle at the usual those that gave away their cash in hopes of treasure in heaven.

Through the attention of a Needle demanding situations the generally held inspiration that Christianity's growing to be wealth sapped Rome of its skill to withstand the barbarian invasions, and provides a clean point of view at the social heritage of the church in past due antiquity.