The Slow Hunch: Joseph Spencer’s Monastic Zion

Philosopher Joseph Spencer’s new book For Zion: A Mormon Theology of Hope was published just this week by Greg Kofford Books. In one chapter, he compares the earliest revelations on what Mormons know as the Law of Consecration to medieval Christian monasticism. The analogy is one that I’ve been tinkering with for a few months, so I was thrilled to see it in Spencer’s book. In a new post at The Slow Hunch, I explore Spencer’s analogy by applying some economic work that has been done on the monastic tradition (Spoiler: it involves both “spiritual capital” and divine curses that protect property rights).

Check it out.