Asked by caleb

Early in the Renaissance, almost all bankers were people of the Jewish faith. These men provided a much-needed service to fellow businessmen who were seeking advancement, yet they were looked down upon and made to live and work in ghettos. What was the source of this attitude toward banking?

Banking began as way for theives to trick people into giving them their money.

People who borrowed money had to go to the ghettos for their banking needs and disliked these slum areas.

Lending money and charging interest went against a teaching of the Catholic Church and was seen as sinful.

The activities of bankers were believed to be powered by magic, and the people of Europe were superstitious.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Lending money and charging interest went against a teaching of the Catholic Church and was seen as sinful.

The Church condemned usury, so Christians were discouraged from moneylending at interest. Jews were often barred from other trades and thus filled that economic niche, which—combined with religious prejudice—led to segregation (ghettos) and social stigma.