The articles in this volume explore the ways in whichdifferent types of religious community organised theireconomy and controlled their finances. These topics wereacknowledged already by Cassian and they are mentioned inthe rule of St. Benedict. Attitudes to religious poverty andto wealth were largely determined by two parameters. Thefirst was the impressive variety of forms of religious lifewith its development of different attitudes to poverty andwealth and to a multitude of forms of economic activity. Thesecond parameter was set by other factors, the economic,political and geological environment which determined therequirements of each religious community. These parameterscaused a strain between the religious ideals on the one handand outside pressures which could affect individualcommunities or religious orders. This is explored in ninearticles dealing with the traditional Benedictines, themilitary orders as well as the mendicants in different partsof Europe.
