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No he didn't.
Posted on: June 3, 2025 at 15:35:36 CT
JeffB MU
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Did St. Augustine champion slavery?
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 CE) did not champion slavery but accepted it as a reality of the fallen world, viewing it as a consequence of sin rather than an ideal or divinely ordained institution. In his writings, particularly City of God (Book XIX, Chapter 15), he argues that slavery is not part of God’s original plan for humanity but results from human sinfulness and the need for social order after the Fall. He saw it as a temporal institution, permissible under human law but not inherently just or morally ideal.
Augustine acknowledged the Bible’s lack of explicit condemnation of slavery and interpreted passages like those in the New Testament (e.g., Ephesians 6:5–9) as guiding slaves and masters to act justly within the existing system. He urged masters to treat slaves humanely and slaves to obey faithfully, emphasizing mutual duties rather than endorsing the institution itself. In his Letter to Alypius (Letter 10), he critiques the harsh treatment of slaves and condemns the enslavement of free people through kidnapping or unjust means, advocating for legal protections.
However, Augustine did not call for abolition, as slavery was deeply embedded in the Roman economy and society. His focus was on spiritual equality before God, not social reform. Some modern scholars, like Peter Brown in Augustine of Hippo, note that his views reflect the pragmatic acceptance of his era’s norms, while others, like David Bentley Hart, argue his theological framework implicitly undermines slavery’s moral legitimacy by emphasizing universal human dignity.
So, no, Augustine didn’t champion slavery—he accepted it as a fact of life while critiquing its abuses and framing it as a human, not divine, institution.
Did St. Augustine champion slavery?
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 CE) did not champion slavery but accepted it as a reality of the fallen world, viewing it as a consequence of sin rather than an ideal or divinely ordained institution. In his writings, particularly City of God (Book XIX, Chapter 15), he argues that slavery is not part of God’s original plan for humanity but results from human sinfulness and the need for social order after the Fall. He saw it as a temporal institution, permissible under human law but not inherently just or morally ideal.
Augustine acknowledged the Bible’s lack of explicit condemnation of slavery and interpreted passages like those in the New Testament (e.g., Ephesians 6:5–9) as guiding slaves and masters to act justly within the existing system. He urged masters to treat slaves humanely and slaves to obey faithfully, emphasizing mutual duties rather than endorsing the institution itself. In his Letter to Alypius (Letter 10), he critiques the harsh treatment of slaves and condemns the enslavement of free people through kidnapping or unjust means, advocating for legal protections.
However, Augustine did not call for abolition, as slavery was deeply embedded in the Roman economy and society. His focus was on spiritual equality before God, not social reform. Some modern scholars, like Peter Brown in Augustine of Hippo, note that his views reflect the pragmatic acceptance of his era’s norms, while others, like David Bentley Hart, argue his theological framework implicitly undermines slavery’s moral legitimacy by emphasizing universal human dignity.
So, no, Augustine didn’t champion slavery—he accepted it as a fact of life while critiquing its abuses and framing it as a human, not divine, institution.
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No he didn't. - JeffB MU - 6/3 15:35:36