Questions tagged [slavery]

A state of bondage or indentured servitude, in which one person is forced to do the bidding of another

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3 answers
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What were the beliefs, teachings, and practices of the church regarding slavery in the New World?

When the New World was discovered, slavery was virtually unknown in Christian Europe. Soon after the discovery of the New World, European powers began to make slaves there, and to transport slaves ...
1 vote
2 answers
389 views

What was the Early Church's view on slavery? [duplicate]

Slavery exist in both the Old and the New Testament with God even regulating slavery in the Old Testament (Exodus 21:20-21, Deuteronomy 23:15) and St. Paul advocating for the freeing of slaves saying ...
1 vote
3 answers
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Why did Sarai & Abram have the slave Hagar?

Why did Sarai & Abram have the Egyptian slave/servant girl (שִׁפְחָ֥ה) Hagar?
6 votes
5 answers
6k views

Why do translations use words like "servants" to mean "slaves"?

Luke 12:45-48 uses the word "servants". What kind of servants get beaten up by their master? That looks a lot like slaves to me. We have an English word for that thing. It's called slaves. So why use ...
1 vote
1 answer
121 views

Slavery in the classical ancient Christianity [closed]

Did Jesus recognize slavery and accepted it? In other words, What was his opinion about slavery or slaves? N.b. Maybe we can understand it also according to the written evidence we have, based on what ...
2 votes
1 answer
130 views

What compelled John Wesley to take up the cause of Abolitionism?

In 1778, John Wesley published his Thoughts upon Slavery, where he wrote: The variety of ways that slavery appears make it almost impossible to convey a just notion of it ... First in what manner are ...
2 votes
1 answer
231 views

What does John Wesley mean by this phrase?

In one of his last letters to Wilberforce, John Wesley wrote in 1791: Dear Sir, Unless the divine power has raised you to be as Athanasius contra Mundum, I see not how you can go through your ...
0 votes
3 answers
2k views

Did the Israelites/Hebrews have their own slaves or servants?

I have been reading in Exodus the Israelites had their own servants or slaves. Exodus also talks about some people almost becoming (?) an Israelite (or Hebrew, not sure if same thing) by performing a ...
8 votes
2 answers
7k views

Was Luke, the author of the Gospel and Acts, a slave?

"It is possible that Paul’s “relative” Lucius is Luke, the author of the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. On his second missionary journey, Paul may have gone to Troas (where Luke lived—or at ...
5 votes
3 answers
176 views

Has a slave served as a priest?

In a recent sermon on Ephesians 6.5-9, the possibility was raised of a slave being a priest/pastor/bishop with authority over his earthly master. I couldn't think of an example from Church history. ...
7 votes
1 answer
760 views

Do any of the seven ecumenical councils condemn slavery?

Did any of the seven ecumenical councils respected both by Catholic and Orthodox Christians pronounce against slavery or allow slavery?
11 votes
1 answer
494 views

What was the earliest Papal condemnation of slavery?

Could someone tell me what the earliest Papal statement or encyclical was where the Church condemned the institution of slavery? A Magisterial document would also be accepted if there are earlier ...
6 votes
1 answer
5k views

What does Leviticus 25:10 mean in context?

The Liberty Bell has an inscription with a quote from Leviticus 25:10: Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof. My question is, what does that quote mean in its ...
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

How did Baptists in the southern US justify slavery as compatible with Christianity?

The wikipedia article on Slavery in the US states: Over the decades and with the growth of slavery throughout the South, Baptist and Methodist ministers gradually changed their messages to ...
9 votes
2 answers
579 views

Has the Church historically considered biblical texts concerning slavery to be transcultural or finite?

How have the Bible's passages concerning slavery been interpreted and applied throughout Christian history, especially passages such as Exodus 21:2-11, Leviticus 25:44-46, and 1 Timothy 6:1-2? Have ...
7 votes
2 answers
390 views

Do Reformed paedobaptists call for the baptism of household servants, just as Abraham's servants were circumcised?

In Genesis 17:9–13 we read: 9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you ...
5 votes
2 answers
159 views

Did St. Paulinus of Nola sell himself into slavery to redeem one slave?

An online timeline of slavery that I came across reads: 354-431: Paulinus, bishop of Nola, (whom Avalos criticizes for alleged racism) liberates his own slaves, spends his considerable wealth ...
4 votes
1 answer
250 views

Why do most translations say "Servant of Christ" rather than "Slave of Christ"? [duplicate]

Context I'm currently watching http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d94tbcidq74&feature=g-high-rec The argument here is that, with regard to the word "doulas" in the original Greek, our relationship ...
16 votes
3 answers
6k views

What did Jonathan Edwards have to say about the fact that he owned slaves?

I recently learned from a John Piper podcast that Jonathan Edwards owned slaves. Edwards lived in the early and mid 18th century, long before the American Civil War, and passed away decades before ...
9 votes
2 answers
445 views

How was the Bible used to reduce modern slavery?

In debates over slavery in the United States, many abolitionists used the Bible as part of their reasoning for freeing the slaves. In both the Old & New Testaments there is very clear ...
7 votes
2 answers
584 views

How was slavery in the U.S. justified by Christianity? [closed]

President Barack Obama recently stated that many atrocities were done in the name of Christ. He went on to say that Slavery in the United States was also justified by Christianity. Since he did not ...
7 votes
2 answers
4k views

Does the Bible support slavery and (white) superiority in the context of American slavery? [closed]

Slavery existed as a fact of life in the ancient world, and the Bible mentions slavery in many places. When the Bible speaks of slavery, is it supporting it, or merely describing it? Does the Bible ...
6 votes
3 answers
479 views

Does the Catholic Church have a position on slavery reparations?

Does the Catholic Church have an official position on slavery reparations? For those interested, I asked the same question on Mi Yodeya, which is the site for Judaism.
2 votes
3 answers
143 views

Referred to as 'slaves'? [closed]

So I'm a little confused. While going through my daily reading, I came across this verse in 1 Peter 2:16: Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's ...
0 votes
0 answers
72 views

Slavery on Exodus 21 verse 20-21 [duplicate]

Does this verse permit slavery on the Holy Bible? Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, but they are not to be punished ...
14 votes
2 answers
4k views

Why Do Moses' Laws About Slavery and Punishment Not Align with the Teachings of Jesus?

In Exodus 21, God is telling Moses what the laws should be concerning slaves and servants among the Israelites. If this is the same God who made all of mankind in His own image, then why would he ...
7 votes
2 answers
640 views

Why doesn't the bible prohibit slavery? [closed]

The Bible does not seem to prohibit slavery (whether using the modern definition or an alternate like "indentured servitude"). Does the Bible explain why it does not prohibit these practices?