John Chrysostom on slavery

Abstract

This article examines John Chrysostom’s (347-407 AD) views on the topic of slavery. His arguments prove to be quite advanced for his time, and still relevant to a modern context. I shall start by briefly describing the different views of slavery in antiquity. This is followed by an in-depth discussion of Chrysostom’s opinion on slavery, which includes an examination of his statements on the social status of the slave, the manumission of slaves and the treatment of slaves. The study concludes with a critique of Chrysostom’s elaborations on the topic of slavery. I shall argue that his delineations are particularly relevant to the modern researcher, since slavery, directly and indirectly, deals with issues of equality, rights and dignity – topics that are frequently debated in the scholarly and popular arenas. Chrysostom is also an indispensible dialogue partner both for the ecclesiastical and biblical sciences.