Christopher Franks here retrieves old wisdom from Aquinass argument about just price and usury by examining them in light of his writings on Dominican mendicancy. From this unique perspective, Franks displays the teleological priority of the evangelical counsels in Aquinass thought and reveals how the summons to become poor bestows a new intelligibility on formerly obscure economic teachings.
He Became Poor challenges the modern economic tendency towards the proprietary self and calls for a renewed and timely appreciation of the virtues of trusting receptivity and humble awareness of our membership in a larger order. Franks also juxtaposes Aquinass teachings with those of Aristotle, John Locke, and Alasdair MacIntyre.
This book not only makes a provocative case for taking Aquinass thoughts on economics more seriously, but also illustrates how the very market conditions of the modern world cloud any attempt to fully understand Aquinas. Franks proffers a convincing argument that questioning market-formed assumptions can actually help us recover the evangelical character of Aquinass ethics. Though certainly a book for scholars, it will also find a place on the shelves of others interested in new perspectives on both Aquinas and economic theory.
