Modern society can be said to be a inactive society. The development of technology has lead to a high degree of civilization which has advanced the quality of life of people in modern society. But on the otherhand, due to this civilization people are ...
Modern society can be said to be a inactive society. The development of technology has lead to a high degree of civilization which has advanced the quality of life of people in modern society. But on the otherhand, due to this civilization people are living helplessly without a direction in life. Pursuing to get a better occupation and goods has been a primary meaning in life. Furthermore, the tragic and growing problem of poverty has become a "mere spectacle" without finding a fundamental solution. In this way, the true values of human existence, such as love, community, sharing, and humility, are gradually being forgotten in modern society. Moreover the joy that flows from the way human exists is fading.
In the face of these realities, the contemporary Christian is faced with the question of whether to submit to the materialism of a consumer society, where human value is measured by the capacity to produce or consume, or to break free from its tyranny and reject it.
Focusing on the teachings of Pope Francis, this dissertation will examine the meanings of ‘Evangelical Poverty’ and its benefits towards Christians living in the midst of the challenges of contemporary Neo-Liberalism. This is due to the fact that Pope Francis emphasized a ‘poor church for the poor’ as a sign of the times.
In order to make this concrete, this dissertation will priorly examine the meaning of poverty which becomes a virtue of Gospel. In addition it will attempt to identify the structural problems of Neo-Liberalism through the teachings of Pope Francis and will point out the cultural challenges that are shaped by this structure. Finally, will identify the spiritual challenges that these problems cause. Thus, Evangelical poverty will then be interpreted in a contemporary way, in line with Pope Francis' insight that it is the poverty of Jesus Christ and, in particular, the preferential option for the poor, based on mercy. It will be shown that it is possible to overcome the aforementioned problems and, moreover, that it is deeply connected with the Spiritual Theological view of theological virtue.
As a result, Evangelical Poverty, as a proclamation of the Gospel through the practice of sharing, humility, and love, is shown to be an outstanding virtue for contemporary Christians to discover Christ and follow God's values in order to overcome the dominance of modern neoliberal society, which is centered on selfish possessions.