In his massive study of wealth and poverty in ancient society, scholar Peter Brown traces a radical shift in society's view of the poor and marginalized. Brown writes that in the 4th and 5th century, "The poor were frequently seen to represent an extreme of the human condition, persons teetering on the brink of destruction and condemned to the outer margins of society." The poor were viewed as others, as those people.

But the good news of Christianity brought about a dramatic change. Brown writes, "The poor were not simply others—creatures who trembled on the margins of society, asking to be saved by the wealthy … They were also brothers [and sisters]. They had the right to 'cry out' for justice in the face of oppressors along with all the other members of the 'people of God.'"