Destroying the City, Burning the fields: Towards a New Testament Concept and Definition of Corruption

Abstract

The aim of this article is to construct a New Testament concept and definition of the phenomenon of corruption. It contends that current definitions which are based on the World Bank’s and Transparency International’s political-materialistic definitions either miss or ignore the “unique” position adopted by New Testament writers whose focus is on the protection of the ideal, that is, the “common good”, against disruptors’ destructive actions. Pursuant to its aim and with some assistance from socio-literary criticism, the article pays special attention to Luke-Acts, the epistles and Greek terminology for corruption. It then concludes that while there is no direct reference to abuse of material resources or public office in the New Testament, any behaviour that is tantamount to subverting the vision of the common good is viewed as corruption; it is no different from the “destruction of the city” or “burning of the fields”.