Slavery and early Christianity - a reflection from a human rights perspective

Addressing the topic "slavery and Early Christianity" is a difficult task for various reasons. First, it is complex to reach an understanding of slavery of that time. Secondly, there is the hermeneutic challenge of approaching the issue with a current mind-set that includes the notion of t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta theologica 2016-01, Vol.2016 (sup-3), p.66-93
Main Author: Kirchschlaeger, P.G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abolition of slavery
Bible
Christianity
Exegesis & hermeneutics
Hellenistic
Human rights
Philosophy
Slavery
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Summary:Addressing the topic "slavery and Early Christianity" is a difficult task for various reasons. First, it is complex to reach an understanding of slavery of that time. Secondly, there is the hermeneutic challenge of approaching the issue with a current mind-set that includes the notion of the abolition of slavery. Furthermore, from a contemporary perspective, a critical account of slavery and Early Christianity is possible, with the temporal distance protecting one from the consequences linked to a judgement about slavery. Finally, there is the hermeneutic challenge of engaging with texts from Early Christianity from an ethical perspective in order to reach present-day normative propositions, while respecting the original intention of the texts. In light of these challenges, this article will offer a brief overview of opinions on slavery in Hellenistic philosophy and in the Jewish tradition, and then discuss slavery and Early Christianity, followed by a reflection on slavery and Early Christianity from a human rights perspective.
ISSN:1015-8758
1015-8758
2309-9089
DOI:10.4314/actat.v23i1S.4