Slavery In Early Christianity & Its Moral Problem (Essay Sample)

Name Instructor Course Date Slavery in Early Christianity and its Moral Problem The slaveholding practices, discourses, and contexts have remained an open secret for many in biblical scholarship. The Parables, Paul's writing about slavery, and ancient Christian writings rarely deny the exploitative, abusive, and gruesome mechanisms of first-century slavery. The message, 'Slaves, obey your Masters,' is implicit and explicit in most ancient literature that eventually became the New Testament. However, the word enslaved person is in question whether it implies a 'slave of Christ' or an actual enslaved person with a Christ owner. Subsequently, the Christian Bible has played an instrumental role in supporting slavery for a long time, especially since slavery was established and practiced in the Modern World. This reflection and analysis paper describes the connection of the YouTube video, ‘Slavery in Early Christianity and its Moral Problem,' with the chapter on Judaism, my personal connections with the content, three quotes that resonate with me, and points of agreement or disagreement with the content. Connections to Chapter on Judaism Christians' views and perceptions of slavery changed historically, spiritually, historically, and regionally. In Christian history, slavery has been part of the social environment for over 18 centuries. One significant connection between the video and the chapter on Judaism is that slavery was not an Israelite phenomenon but was practiced in most ancient societies such as Babylon, Greece, Egypt, and Rome. In the Roman Empire, enslaving people was morally acceptable and a necessary way of life. While ancient Romans supported the proper treatment of enslaved people, slavery abolition was viewed as unnecessary and impossible (Glancy 42). Enslaved people were perceived as objects, possessions, and property. Enslaved people had no rights and were used to serve and please their masters. For instance, the Romans were allowed to use their slave as sexual objects. Masters would buy and sell their slaves regardless of family relations. Enslaved people only married at the owner's permission, while the children in such marriages could be sold. Secondly, the video and the chapter portray that the slavery institution was a normal aspect of life. One of the most striking things in both contexts is that there was no debate on the moral evil of slavery. Just like the ancient Roman Empire, there was no intention to end the treatment of people as property in the United States in the 19C. Thirdly, the Christian doctrine viewed enslaved people as individuals who have souls and are capable of salvation. While many Christian writers advocated the need to treat enslaved people well, the same authors supported the enslaved person to accept their situation and position in life. In this case, there was little evidence that Christians attempted to disapprove and abolish the institution of slavery. Removing the phrases 'pagan' and 'Christian' feature in different authors' works, there is minimal difference in what the majority of them wrote about slavery and enslaved people. Some authors were against the beating of enslaved people, while others advocated for the owner to regulate their passion and deter them from acting harshly. However, the opposing authors seemed to recognize and support the slavery institution as an inherent validity. In the Roman Empire, there is no evidence that Christians viewed slavery as wrong against humanity or even considered it a relevant question. Personal Connection to the Content I had many misconceptions concerning the evolution of slavery institutions when I started this course. Concerning slavery and early Christianity, I believe that Christianity had a significant impact on the reduction of the number of enslaved people in the medieval period compared to the Roman Empire. During the medieval period, most Pagan religious sects did not believe in soul immortality. While some did, the regions were followed by elites who had little thought about other people's spiritual well-being, who comprised about 95% of the population. Therefore, such individuals were not valued and had a place in society and were likely to be viewed as object/property and enslaved. However, Christianity brought a difference since people were valued and believed to possess a soul capable of salvation regardless of their station. In this case, the Soul of an enslaved person was valuable to God, just like that of an Emperor. In this case, Christians did not perceive enslaved people as mere possessions but as God's valuable creation. Therefore, the Roman Empire that advocated for slavery began to decline when Christianity became the majority religious group. However, my opinion may be wrong since my assertion that Christianity led to reduced slavery lacks evidence-based support. Based on my research, there is a research gap in the difference in how Christians and non-Christians viewed slavery institutions up until the early fourth century. Secondly, I have had conflicting thoughts on whether Jesus supported slavery or not. Although Jesus did not come openly to support slavery, some of the Biblical scriptures might imply otherwise (Glancy 74). In Mathew 26:51-52, one of Jesus' disciples cuts off the ear of a slave of Caiaphus. Jesus informs the disciple to put his sword back in place since all people who take the sword shall perish by the sword. During the circumstance, Jesus does show any concern for the enslaved person whose ear has been cut off. As a miracle work, Jesus does not heal the enslaved person's ear or express any consideration but shows concern for the act of anger and violence of drawing out the sword. The author of the gospel fails to consider the enslaved person's pain and suffering. In this case, I may perceive the main lesson demonstrated by the author of the gospel is that enslaved people are objects that do experience pain and suffering. Although the Bible does not openly condemn slavery, my opinion is that slavery is wrong. Human rights should be respected and protected at all costs as God-given creations (John and Latterell 313). Although I firmly believe that human rights should be upheld, I do not want to put any expectations on the Biblical literature. In this case, the Bible has specific advice, rules, and recommendations for enslavers and their slaves. Although there was specific content for slavery in the Bible, I believe that such instructions were applicable for a specific period. I believe that the coming of Jesus Christ raised us to a higher moral standard than what God's people had been given initially. Three Quotes That Resonate with Me One of the significant quotes that I found interesting from the video was that 'Christians have been excusing slavery' for a long time since they are part of it. This quote resonates with me, and I selected it since I am a staunch Christian. For this reason, I was interested in finding out what it meant by 'Christians exclusive slavery.' One central thought that crossed my mind is that all Christians are enslaved. In this case, sinners are enslaved people who become free when called by God. Similarly, people who are not enslaved become Christ's slaves when they accept Christianity. Therefore, Christians are bought by a price (blood of Jesus), although they are not slaves of men but God. Another quote was how people's views of slavery changed over time. Although slavery was perceived as normal practice during the Roman Empire, today, it is perceived as evil against humanity that should be condemned. The quote resonates with me since I have similar changes when learning about different things. In this case, obtaining more information about a phenomenon changes my perception as time progresses. Similarly, future generations will access more information and have an expanded understanding of slavery. The change in how people view slavery can be explained through Paul. In his work, Paul declared himself as a slave of the Lord. However, the modern use of the word 'slave' has changed and may not be tolerated in the contemporary understanding. People may wiggle today when the word enslaved person is mentioned compared to when it was used in the past. Enslaved people may not be acceptable even when it is used to imply God's servant. The third quote from the video is related to listening to people who have a history of slavery in society. The quote resonates with me since it will be instrumental to restoring value and human dignity among people who undergo any form of oppression in modern society. Points of Agreement and Disagreement One central point of agreement with the content is that the Bible does not openly condemn slavery. The Old Testament provides examples proving that slavery existed among the Israelites before the Mosaic Law. Exodus 21:2 shows that Hebrew men and women were allowed to sell themselves to slavery and serve for six years before being set f...