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Slavery in the Bible
Show notes
Episode Outline:
Special episode: slavery in the Bible and the ancient Near East
Bart introduces Josh Bowen and his work on slavery, Assyriology, and the Old Testament
What the “ancient Near East” is, and why it matters for the Bible
What counts as slavery in the ancient world?
The kinds of texts scholars use to study slavery: laws, contracts, and court cases
Was biblical slavery like slavery in the American South?
Debt slavery explained: what it was and how it worked
Punishment, abuse, and legal limits on the treatment of slaves
Is biblical law basically similar to other ancient Near Eastern slave law?
Was slavery in the Bible race-based?
How people became chattel slaves: debt, birth, and inheritance
Exodus 21 and the disturbing law about selling a daughter
Christian apologetics and the attempt to defend biblical slavery
Does Philemon or Galatians actually condemn slavery?
Why people use the Bible selectively for modern ethics
Why forgetting the Bible’s real stance on slavery is dangerous
Final reflections and Josh’s revised book on Old Testament slavery
Episode Description
Many Jews and Christians today are uncomfortable with the views of slavery in the Bible; the practice is simply assumed, it is normally condoned, and it is never condemned. Even so, some Christian apologists argue that the Bible actively disapproves of slavery and was instrumental in opposing it in the modern era. But is that right? In this episode I interview one of the premiere experts on the question, Dr. Josh Bowen, who has written two books on the matter; in our discussion he explains what the Bible really says about slavery and how we can put its statements, assumptions, and laws in its own context instead of thinking that it fits comfortably in ours.
Also watch these episodes:
Does Biblical Scholarship Destroy Faith?
Does Biblical Scholarship Destroy Faith?
Decoding Gnosticism: Secrets of a Heretical Christian Belief
Decoding Gnosticism: Secrets of a Heretical Christian Belief
Creation Myths in the Ancient World
Creation Myths in the Ancient World
Dr. Bowen's latest book, "Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?", is available on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Did-Old-Testament-Endorse-Slavery-ebook/dp/B0CC13NMZR/ref=sr_1_3?crid=QFH31D8HYCZD&keywords=joshua+bowen&qid=1689602956&sprefix=joshua+bowe%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-3&fbclid=IwAR0PLrwyS9EOKl1sbUgTPZVsReALRo3SFgTsc5hp4qSdRTRELSWGgi9LKkc
Special episode: slavery in the Bible and the ancient Near East
Bart introduces Josh Bowen and his work on slavery, Assyriology, and the Old Testament
What the “ancient Near East” is, and why it matters for the Bible
What counts as slavery in the ancient world?
The kinds of texts scholars use to study slavery: laws, contracts, and court cases
Was biblical slavery like slavery in the American South?
Debt slavery explained: what it was and how it worked
Punishment, abuse, and legal limits on the treatment of slaves
Is biblical law basically similar to other ancient Near Eastern slave law?
Was slavery in the Bible race-based?
How people became chattel slaves: debt, birth, and inheritance
Exodus 21 and the disturbing law about selling a daughter
Christian apologetics and the attempt to defend biblical slavery
Does Philemon or Galatians actually condemn slavery?
Why people use the Bible selectively for modern ethics
Why forgetting the Bible’s real stance on slavery is dangerous
Final reflections and Josh’s revised book on Old Testament slavery
Episode Description
Many Jews and Christians today are uncomfortable with the views of slavery in the Bible; the practice is simply assumed, it is normally condoned, and it is never condemned. Even so, some Christian apologists argue that the Bible actively disapproves of slavery and was instrumental in opposing it in the modern era. But is that right? In this episode I interview one of the premiere experts on the question, Dr. Josh Bowen, who has written two books on the matter; in our discussion he explains what the Bible really says about slavery and how we can put its statements, assumptions, and laws in its own context instead of thinking that it fits comfortably in ours.
Also watch these episodes:
Does Biblical Scholarship Destroy Faith?
Does Biblical Scholarship Destroy Faith?
Decoding Gnosticism: Secrets of a Heretical Christian Belief
Decoding Gnosticism: Secrets of a Heretical Christian Belief
Creation Myths in the Ancient World
Creation Myths in the Ancient World
Dr. Bowen's latest book, "Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?", is available on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Did-Old-Testament-Endorse-Slavery-ebook/dp/B0CC13NMZR/ref=sr_1_3?crid=QFH31D8HYCZD&keywords=joshua+bowen&qid=1689602956&sprefix=joshua+bowe%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-3&fbclid=IwAR0PLrwyS9EOKl1sbUgTPZVsReALRo3SFgTsc5hp4qSdRTRELSWGgi9LKkc
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