About the Course

The Bible Slavery and Liberation

  • “The Bible, Slavery, and Abolition: Scriptural Interpretation for Freedom and Human Flourishing” examines American slavery, the theological debate around it, and how the abolitionists came to read the Bible as a book that liberates rather than enslaves. It addresses the question: What kind of understanding of the Christian faith and Bible reading practices contribute to human life and liberty rather than taking it away? Examining the forms of Christianity that promote respect for all human beings as worthy of inherent dignity and respect is of vital importance in present movements for racial justice.

Learning Objectives

As a student, you will

  • Develop a basic understanding of how slavery existed in multiple contexts: The Ancient Near East, the Greco Roman World, and Antebellum America.
  • Engage the debate around the definition and essential qualities of slavery.
  • Analyze the different anthropologies animating the slavery and abolitionist causes.
  • Consider slavery and anti-slavery arguments in light of later biblical scholarship
  • Analyze and critique the Bible reading practices evident in the abolitionist and proslavery primary texts with the aim of discerning their different methodologies leading to oppression or liberation.
  • Engage in their own reading and analysis of select biblical texts with the goal of answering the question: Can the canonical witness of Christian Scripture operating within the context of a hermeneutic of trust sustain the abolitionist/liberative cause?
  • Develop the skills to use the entire Bible in moral formation and ethical decision making.

Meet your Professor

Esau McCaulley, PhD
Esau McCaulley, PhD

Esau McCaulley,PhD is an author and The Jonathan Blanchard Associate Professor of New Testament and Public Theology at Wheaton College. His writing and speaking focus on New Testament Exegesis, African American Biblical Interpretation, and Public Theology. He has authored numerous books including, Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope, which won numerous awards including Christianity Today’s Book of the Year. Esau also served as the editor of New Testament in Color: A Multi-Ethnic Commentary on the New Testament.

On the popular level, Esau’s recent memoir, How Far to the Promised Land, was named by Amazon as a top five non-fiction book of 2023. He has also penned works for children, including Josey Johnson’s Hair and the Holy Spirit and Andy Johnson and the March for Justice. Esau is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, and senior editor for Holy Post Media as well as the host of a new podcast with the Holy Post that debuts this fall. His writings have appeared in places such as The Atlantic, Washington Post, and Christianity Today.

Upcoming Topics

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Featured Resources

https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/nero-man-behind-myth/slavery-ancient-rome