Tzedakah Series

Using the Old Testament to Inform Action & Charity Today

A five-part seminar examining what the Hebrew tradition of Tzedakah is saying to our communities about action and charity, in light of current policy issues in social justice.

Some of the very earliest Christian texts contain bold calls to protect and relieve the suffering of the vulnerable: the poor, the sick, the prisoner, the orphan, the widow. This drew upon and continued a long corpus of spiritual and moral writings by the Israelite Prophets, and a sizeable body of legislation and case law recorded in the Torah.

Ancient Israelite scripture gives us a different and sometimes surprising approach in their definitions of justice, their concerns about the concentration of wealth and power, and the obligations of power towards the powerless. Today, the vulnerable among us face pressures similar to those of their ancient counterparts.

Wealth inequality, homelessness, debt bondage, and poverty are still with us, as is the moral imperative to do something about it.

But what can we do? What can we learn from our shared spiritual tradition?

Dr. Sheldon Greaves  is a scholar in Hebrew Bible. Dr. Melissa Bird is a professor at Portland State University where she teaches Social Justice Advocacy. Together, they explore the ancient Hebrew roots of Christianity’s mandate to care for the poor and how it can inform and inspire today’s efforts to mediate the effects of poverty and homelessness, especially in our local community.

Each session is 90 minutes long, including time for discussion and questions. This promises to be an informative and stimulating series, one that will clarify what we can do as a parish and a community to reduce the suffering of the vulnerable among us.