For centuries, a quiet yet powerful activity has simmered beneath the surface of Christian theology—one that touches the wallets of millions of worshippers. Often controversial, tithing has been part of worship culture for centuries.
And now, that controversy finds its boldest and most historically grounded examination in Jonathan Kithcart’s provocative work, Pope Leo III, Charlemagne, and the Tithe. This book does more than question the modern tithing practices; it traces the origin of the method to a specific political alliance forged in the early ninth century.
By connecting the dots between a papal coronation, a Frankish warlord, and the enforcement of a ten-percent religious tax, Kithcart delivers a revelation that challenges long-held assumptions about what the New Testament actually requires of believers.
Unmasking the Historical Roots of a Modern Heresy
The central thesis of Pope Leo III, Charlemagne, and the Tithe is both startling and meticulously documented. Kithcart argues that the obligatory tithing system taught in many churches today has no basis in the apostolic writings or the practices of the first-century church. Instead, he pinpoints the moment this burden was imposed on Christian believers: the coronation of Charlemagne by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day in the year 800.
This political maneuver, the book demonstrates, solidified an alliance between two powers: the papacy and the Holy Roman Emperor. In return for the pope’s blessing, Charlemagne enforced tithing by secular law across his vast empire. What began as a funding mechanism for state-aligned church structures gradually morphed into a supposedly divine command.
Kithcart’s research reveals that prior to this enforcement, the early church operated on a completely different financial model. Drawing from the book’s extensive citations of patristic sources—including Polycarp, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Justin Martyr—readers discover that Christian giving was entirely voluntary. Instead of imposing a specific amount, worshippers were encouraged to give as they could.
The Apostle Paul’s Conspicuous Silence
One of the book’s most effective rhetorical strategies revolves around a single, piercing question: Did the apostle Paul teach tithing to the Gentile believers?
Jonathan Kithcart reveals that he personally wrote to ten high-profile ministers—including Creflo Dollar, T.D. Jakes, John Hagee, and Kenneth Copeland—posing this exact query. The result, which he terms “The Code of Silence,” was a deafening non-response. Not one of these influential teachers could point to a single verse where Paul commands Gentile Christians to tithe. This silence, Kithcart argues, speaks volumes.
The book unpacks this argument with careful exegesis. Paul, a Benjamite, was not a Levite and therefore legally disqualified from receiving tithes under the Mosaic Law. More importantly, when Paul addressed financial support for the ministry in his letters to the Corinthians, Galatians, and Romans, he never once cited Malachi 3 or Leviticus 27. Instead, he appealed to principles of freewill giving, cheerful generosity, and the support of gospel workers as a voluntary act of love—never as a command with an attached curse.
The Anatomy of “The Code of Silence”
Perhaps the most intriguing concept introduced in Pope Leo III, Charlemagne, and the Tithe is the title’s secondary phrase: “The Code of Silence.”
Kithcart defines this as the deliberate evasion tactics by teachers when confronted with biblical truth. Drawing a parallel to Jesus’ encounter with the chief priests in Matthew 21, the book illustrates how those who benefit from a system often refuse to answer direct questions about its origin.
For the modern prosperity preacher or storehouse-tithe advocate, admitting that Paul never taught tithing would unravel a financial model that generates billions of dollars annually. Consequently, silence becomes the safest strategy.
Besides the criticism, the book provides a constructive alternative grounded in what Kithcart calls “grace giving.”c
Advantages for Pastors, Laypeople, and Scholars
For pastors who have struggled to reconcile the demands of tithing with the grace of the New Covenant, Pope Leo III, Charlemagne, and the Tithe provides a liberating alternative. The book’s thorough historical documentation allows church leaders to transition away from legalistic giving models without feeling that they are undermining biblical authority. Instead, they can embrace a more robust theology of cheerful, Spirit-led generosity.
Kithcart shares a poignant response from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association that counseled a struggling believer not to feel guilty for cutting back on giving. As the book points out, the God revealed in Jesus Christ does not curse or desert His children for failing to meet a man-made percentage.
For scholars and serious students of church history, the book’s synthesis of primary sources—from the capitularies of Charlemagne to the writings of the early church fathers—provides a valuable resource.
Why This Book Matters Today
In an era when megachurches collect tens of millions of dollars annually under the banner of Malachi 3, and when families go without healthcare because they believe a curse will follow non-payment of tithes, Kithcart’s work is more relevant than ever.
Pope Leo III, Charlemagne, and the Tithe is not an argument for stinginess or for neglecting church finances. On the contrary, the book repeatedly affirms that gospel workers deserve generous support and that believers should give liberally. The distinction lies in motivation and authority. Giving should flow from a transformed heart, not from a commandment of men dressed up in biblical language.
Understanding the Book
By exposing the historical origins of enforced tithing—origins found not in Jerusalem or Antioch, but in the political machinations of Pope Leo III and the military might of Charlemagne—Kithcart frees readers to give as they purpose in their hearts, without compulsion, without curses, and without guilt.
For anyone who has ever wondered why a practice absent from the apostolic letters dominates Sunday morning offering appeals, this book provides the long-awaited answer. The code of silence has been broken. Grab a copy of Jonathan Kithcart’s book, Pope Leo III, Charlemagne, and the Tithe, today!
