Noah's Curse: The Biblical Justification of American Slavery"A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren." So reads Noah's curse on his son Ham, and all his descendants, in Genesis 9:25. Over centuries of interpretation, Ham came to be identified as the ancestor of black Africans, and Noah's curse to be seen as biblical justification for American slavery and segregation. Examining the history of the American interpretation of Noah's curse, this book begins with an overview of the prior history of the reception of this scripture and then turns to the distinctive and creative ways in which the curse was appropriated by American pro-slavery and pro-segregation interpreters. |
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Page viii
... Genesis 9 within the long history of Western biblical interpretation; by attending to texts dealing with Nimrod (Genesis 10:6–12) and the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9), without which the role of Noah's curse in American history cannot ...
... Genesis 9 within the long history of Western biblical interpretation; by attending to texts dealing with Nimrod (Genesis 10:6–12) and the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9), without which the role of Noah's curse in American history cannot ...
Page ix
... Genesis 9–11 and the history and cultural patterns that have influenced them. Finally, because this book treats biblical texts that have been objects of extensive historical-critical analysis, it is necessary to defend its focus on the ...
... Genesis 9–11 and the history and cultural patterns that have influenced them. Finally, because this book treats biblical texts that have been objects of extensive historical-critical analysis, it is necessary to defend its focus on the ...
Page 4
... Genesis 9–11. Dispersion and Differentiation What is the content of these chapters that conclude the primeval history of Genesis? Chapter 9 completes the biblical flood narrative by relating the Lord's instructions to the human ...
... Genesis 9–11. Dispersion and Differentiation What is the content of these chapters that conclude the primeval history of Genesis? Chapter 9 completes the biblical flood narrative by relating the Lord's instructions to the human ...
Page 5
... 9 (the story of the tower, culminating in the “scattering” of the builders). Under the influence of these texts and the cultural forces explored in this book, readers of Genesis have construed chapters 9–11 as a thematic whole ...
... 9 (the story of the tower, culminating in the “scattering” of the builders). Under the influence of these texts and the cultural forces explored in this book, readers of Genesis have construed chapters 9–11 as a thematic whole ...
Page 6
... 9 By the nineteenth century, the same intellectual and social forces that contributed to the racialization of Noah's prophecy came to bear on Genesis 10, which was consistently read as an account of humanity's racial origins and as ...
... 9 By the nineteenth century, the same intellectual and social forces that contributed to the racialization of Noah's prophecy came to bear on Genesis 10, which was consistently read as an account of humanity's racial origins and as ...
Contents
3 | |
21 | |
HONOR AND ORDER | 63 |
NOAHS CAMERA | 123 |
REDEEMING THE CURSE | 175 |
Notes | 223 |
Bibliography | 299 |
Index | 314 |
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According Adam African American antebellum appear argument association Babel became become Bible Bible readers biblical blessing Book brothers Cain called Canaan century chapter character Christian Church cited Civil claim Commentary culture death descendants desire distinct divine early earth fact father Flood forces Genesis 9 Girard given God’s Ham’s Hamites Hebrew honor human Ibid influence institution interpretation James Japheth John land legend Letters means mind nakedness nature Negro Nimrod Noah Noah’s curse notes observes original Palmer patriarch Presbyterian present Priest prophecy proslavery Providence published question race racial racism readings of Genesis rebellion reference reflected regarded relations religion religious role Scripture segregation separation servitude sexual Shem slave slavery social society sons South Southern story tents theme tower tradition University Press victim violence writes York