Ep 217: Ancient Slavery and the New Testament with Christy Cobb and Katherine Shaner

In this episode I talk with Dr. Christy Cobb and Dr. Katherine Shaner about the new book they coedited entitled Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts, out now on Eerdmans. They explain the institution of slavery in antiquity, its pervasiveness in Greco-Roman society, and how Romans and Jews alike thought about slavery. Dr. Cobb explains her chapter on gender roles, noting how men and women experienced slavery differently, and Dr. Shaner explains her chapter on New Testament household codes and their complex presentation of slavery. We then talk about the conflicting instructions regarding slavery in the New Testament, the Bible’s role in the abolitionist movement, and why Christians should seriously think about this issue. Dr. Cobb also wanted to refer curious listeners to the following article, which explores slavery in the Rabbinic tradition in greater detail: Hezser, Catherine. “Part Whore, Part Wife: Slave Women in the Palestinian Rabbinic Tradition.” In Doing Gender - Doing Religion: Case Studies on Intersectionality in Early Judaism, Christianity and Islam, edited by Ute E. Eisen, Christine Gerber, and Angela Standhartinger. Mohr Siebeck, 2013.

Media Referenced:

Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts: https://a.co/d/bixo0LZ

Christy Cobb Bio: https://liberalarts.du.edu/about/people/christy-cobb

Christy Cobb Academia: https://udenver.academia.edu/ChristyCobb

Katherine Shaner Bio: https://divinity.wfu.edu/academics/faculty/katherine-a-shaner/

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