
Preaching Bondage
John Chrysostom and the Discourse of Slavery in Early Christianity
Chris L. de Wet(Author)
University of California Press
1st Edition
Published on 13. May 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
332 pages
978-0-520-41837-0 (ISBN)
Description
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.
Reviews / Votes
"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 * "de Wet's outstanding monograph is a major contribution to the cultural history of late antiquity." * Journal of Early Christian Studies * "Comprehensive, reliable and informative...I predict it will become a reference or even a compulsory reading material for early Christian approaches to slavery." * Augustiniana *More details
Edition
First Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Berkerley
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-520-41837-0 (9780520418370)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
07/2015
1st Edition
University of California Press
€33.99
Available for download
Person
Chris L. de Wet is Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Studies at the University of South Africa.
Content
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
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