Answer
The Christian poverty movement took shape in the Middle Ages, primarily as a response to the church’s covetousness during that period. The wealth, political power, and growth of the church presented a picture of a power-hungry Jesus. To oppose this view, many disillusioned Christians took the opposite direction, choosing to live in poverty.
The Christian poverty movement drew inspiration largely from some of Jesus’ sayings, such as Matthew 19:21: “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’” (see also Matthew 25:35–40; Luke 4:18–19).
The Christian poverty movement was characterized by a voluntary vow of poverty. A key figure, Francis of Assisi, dubbed poverty “Lady Poverty.” The emphasis on self-denial and a simple lifestyle appealed to many. Adherents of the poverty movement served the community rather than isolating themselves as the monks did. Two religious orders associated with the Christian poverty movement were the Dominican and Franciscan orders. Francis considered poverty to be aligned with Christ, noting Jesus’ own relative poverty in life and His nakedness on the cross. The Franciscan order is still active today and is the largest religious order in the Catholic Church.
In 1933, Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin founded the Catholic worker movement, aiming to reflect the justice and charity of Jesus Christ. Their teaching upheld the principles of charity, hospitality, and nonviolence. The Catholic worker movement also adopted voluntary poverty for those working at the houses of hospitality, which provide shelter to those in need. Thus, the worker movement aligned with the overall Christian poverty movement in principle and practice. Like the Franciscan order, the Catholic worker movement is still active today.
On a broader level, the Christian poverty movement encompasses every activity Christians do to combat poverty, including charity work, community involvement, and government reform. The aim is to find both immediate relief and long-term solutions to worldwide poverty.
We can affirm many of the concerns raised by the Christian poverty movement. Jesus taught against an inordinate desire for money and warned that mammon can draw away our affections from God (Matthew 6:24). Jesus instructed us to invest in heavenly treasures rather than piling up earthly goods (Matthew 6:19–21). Materialism should be shunned, especially within the church, as it goes against Jesus’ teachings. There is an inherent spiritual danger to having wealth that we must all be aware of.
Scripture also accords dignity to the poor. Jesus was poor, as were most of His disciples. However, although the poor are dignified in Scripture, poverty isn’t. This crucial distinction underlines a problem in many strands of the Christian poverty movement, viz., the view that material possessions are inherently bad and being poor as a sign of devotion. Such a “poverty gospel” is just as errant as a “prosperity gospel.” The poverty gospel can quickly degenerate into the pursuit of a works-based righteousness, whereby the adherent believes he is accepted by God simply because of his lack of wealth.
Neither prosperity nor poverty is the means by which we gain approval from God; Jesus is. Furthermore, both materialism and poverty are products of sin. Wealth is not inherently bad, as the new creation portrays (Revelation 21:18–21). To the extent that the Christian poverty movement works to ameliorate poor conditions, it should be celebrated. However, poverty is not a necessity for a Christian. We should rather be stewards of all resources God has given (Luke 12:48b; cf. Matthew 25:14–30).
