The punishment of slaves in early Christianity: the views of some selected church fathers
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Date
2016
Authors
De Wet, C. L.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State
Abstract
With few exceptions, many of the Church Fathers approved, in principle, of the
punishment of slaves. However, there were very specific guidelines on why, how,
and when to punish slaves. The purpose of this article is to analyse more closely
how some of the early Church Fathers conceptualised the punishment of slaves. The
study begins, first, by examining the theological justifications for the punishment
of slaves. Secondly, it assesses the reasons for punishment – for what reasons
did these Church Fathers admonish their slaveholding audiences to punish their
slaves? Thirdly, the author investigates some selected Church Fathers’ advice on
how to punish, in terms of both the psychological disposition of the owner and the
various methods for punishment directed towards the slave body. Finally, the article
more specifically explores how these Church Fathers understood some of the main
elements that were present in, during, and after punishment, namely fear and pain.
Description
Keywords
Slavery, Church history, Punishment, Discipline, Church fathers, Patristics
Citation
De Wet, C.L. (2016). The punishment of slaves in early Christianity: the views of some selected church fathers. Acta Theologica, 23, 263-282.