Reciprocity Revisited:

Today the process of neoliberal economy has become a site of great contention, since it has not only legitimated scarcity, but also has assigned human subjects their given place and purpose. It would seem, however, that the biblical text helps us to confront the power that entraps human agency and creates scarcity as such. This essay explores the Parable of the Unjust Manager in Luke 16:1-9, which presents Luke’s overarching vision of economy, attributed to the ‘eternal homes’ (16:9) and ascribed to the colonial subjects in the Empire. In the Parable, the “dishonest” manager serves as a “broker” or as an “outlaw” between the landowner and the tenants. His remarkable move invites the readers today to become aware of their own myth and construct of economy. This essay combines insights from cultural economics and biblical studies of reciprocity.