4th century church father explains Christianity's position on slavery

[Petr]

From "Readings in Late Antiquity - a sourcebook" by Michael Maas, page 65:


"1.11.7 Slavery is taken for granted

"Slavery pervaded late antique society and was generally accepted without question. Here Basil fo Caesarea, bishop of the late fourth century, gives a Christian interpretation of the institution.


Basil of Caesarea, On the Holy Spirit 20

(Peter Garnsey, Ideas of Slavery from Aristotle to Augustine (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996), p. 45)


Some say that the Spirit is neither master or slave, but like a freeman. What miserable nonsense! What pitiful audacity! What shall I lament, their ignorance or their blasphemy? They insult the dogmas pertaining to the divine nature by confining them within human categories. They think they see the differences of dignity among men, and then apply such variation to the ineffable nature of God.

Do they not realize that even among men, no one is slave by nature? Men are brought under the yoke of slavery by either because they are captured in the battle or else they sell themselves into slavery owing to poverty; as the Egyptians became the slaves of Pharaoh.

Sometimes, by a wise and inscrutable providence, worthless children are commanded by their father to serve their more intelligent brothers and sisters. Any upright person investigating the circumstances would realize that such situations bring much benefit, and are not a sentence of condemnation for those involved.

It is better for a man who lacks intelligence and self-control to become another's possession. Governed by his master's intelligence, he will become like a chariot driven by a skilled horseman or a ship with a seasoned sailor at the tiller.

That is why Jacob obtained his father's blessing and became Esau's master: so that this foolish son, who had no intelligence properly to guide him, might profit from his prudent brother, even against his will. Canaan became a "slave of slaves to this brother", because his father Ham was void of understanding, unable to teach his son any virtue.

That is why men become slaves, but those who escape poverty, war, or the need of a guardian, are free. And even though one man is called master, and another a slave, we are all the possessions of our Creator; we shall all share the rank of slave.


Petr

[Perun]

Hello Petr, about time you showed up here!