Hermas, un escalador social, se dirige a los ricos de su comunidad

Abstract

Hermas’ biography and the recurring theme of wealth - poverty in his work allow us to glimpse the social composition of his Christian Roman community. Several of its members have managed to move up the social ladder thanks to the acquisition of material wealth through their flourishing businesses and are trying to integrate into the society according to their new acquired status. This will cause them to distance themselves from the larger group of Christians who continue to be poor, which will cause a fragmentation of the community. Faced with this community reality and exhorting the rich, Hermas advocates for the integration of the different social strata into a single community through patronage, where the rich will perform an important service thanks to the solidarity they must show with the poor, especially through almsgiving and hospitality... For their part, the
poor will specialize in praying for the rich, thus establishing a mutually beneficial exchange. This pragmatism of Hermas will allow the integration of various social strata into a single community without seeking the suppression of social and economic differences and giving a social orientation to the wealth of the rich.