Wealth inequality seems contrary to Christianity's basic teachings. Jesus preached a way of life free of possessions, and the original disciples warned against power and prestige. The first church in Jerusalem abolished private property by holding personal wealth in common and distributing resources to everyone as needed. As the Jesus movement grew in numbers and geographically spread, collectively the churches maintained that their primary purpose was to serve the needs of the sick and the poor and that the practice of surrendering everything in love was the hallmark of the Christian ethic.

• So in the United States with a predominant Christian ethic (at least according to popular belief), why are there so many poor when there is so much wealth?

But even yet more puzzling, today popular Christianity promotes the message  ...