Preaching Bondage introduces and investigates the novel concept of doulology, the discourse of slavery, in the homilies of John Chrysostom, the late fourth-century priest and bishop. Chris L. de Wet examines the dynamics of enslavement in Chrysostom's theology, virtue ethics, and biblical interpretation and shows that human bondage as a metaphorical and theological construct had a profound effect on the lives of institutional slaves. The highly corporeal and gendered discourse associated with slavery was necessarily central in Chrysostom's discussions of the household, property, education, discipline, and sexuality. De Wet explores the impact of doulology in these contexts and disseminates the results in a new and highly anticipated language, bringing to light the more pervasive fissures between ancient Roman slaveholding and early Christianity. The corpus of Chrysostom's public addresses provides much of the literary evidence for slavery in the fourth century, and De Wet's convincing analysis is a groundbreaking contribution to studies of the social world in late antiquity.
By:
Chris L. de Wet
Imprint: University of California Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 28mm
Weight: 612g
ISBN: 9780520286214
ISBN 10: 0520286219
Pages: 331
Publication Date: 21 July 2015
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgments 1. Introducing Doulology 2. Divine Bondage: Slavery between Metaphor and Theology 3. Little Churches: The Pastoralization of the Household and Its Slaves 4. The Didactics of Kyriarchy: Slavery, Education, and the Formation of Masculinity 5. Whips and Scriptures: On the Discipline and Punishment of Slaves 6. Exploitation, Regulation, and Restructuring: Managing Slave Sexuality 7. Conclusion: Preaching Bondage and the Legacy of Christian Doulology Glossary Bibliography Abbreviations Primary Sources Secondary Sources Index of Ancient Authors Index of Ancient Terms Index of Subjects
Chris L. de Wet is Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Studies at the University of South Africa.
Reviews for Preaching Bondage: John Chrysostom and the Discourse of Slavery in Early Christianity
""De Wet's study is an essential contribution to understanding slavery in antiquity."" Journal of Global Slavery ""Offers a major contribution to the history of ideas in western thought, delineating how a core set of ideas, transformed through a Christian lens, led to the passive acceptance of the (gendered) oppression of other human beings... This is a book to be read by scholars across a wide range of interests and disciplines."" Acta Classica ""Highly refreshing and a great contribution to the study of Chrysostom."" Relegere
