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The Bible, Christianity, and Slavery

[Due to the Coronavirus restrictions, this class met online. This is an audio recording of that online session.]

PF logo Pict 2 The Bible, Christianity, and Slavery What was the historical and cultural context of slavery in the Ancient Near East? Why is that important to understand? How was slavery in Israel different from our contemporary concept of slavery? What social purpose did slavery serve in a tribal/patriarchal culture? What were some of the safeguards which the Mosaic law imposed on slavery? How was slavery in the Greco-Roman world dramatically different to that of the Old Testament, and more akin to slavery in the Antebellum South in the United States? Why would it have been practically impossible for the apostles or the early church to call for the abolition of slavery? How did the early church elevate the status of slaves and eventually effect the end of slavery in Western civilization? After the resurgence of slavery in the West during the colonization of the New World, who led the abolitionist movement in America? How did Southern Christians justify slavery biblically? What was wrong with such arguments for slavery supposedly based on the bible? (58 min)
Lesson 36: Review Questions
Lesson 36: Lesson Notes