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 vii
... forces that have obscured the Christian ideal of community rooted in creation are the subject of this study. Secondary literature on the religious justification for slavery is voluminous. Two studies were particularly helpful as I began ...
... forces that have obscured the Christian ideal of community rooted in creation are the subject of this study. Secondary literature on the religious justification for slavery is voluminous. Two studies were particularly helpful as I began ...
Page viii
... forces at the professional and institutional levels mitigate against this sort of interdisciplinary scholarship, I have made an effort to transgress traditional boundaries of scholarly inquiry. One of the book's goals, in fact, is to ...
... forces at the professional and institutional levels mitigate against this sort of interdisciplinary scholarship, I have made an effort to transgress traditional boundaries of scholarly inquiry. One of the book's goals, in fact, is to ...
Page ix
... forces that have encouraged misinterpretation or the penchant of Bible readers to read in self-justifying ways. Among the unifying themes of this study are the convictions that readers—whatever their qualifications, background, or ...
... forces that have encouraged misinterpretation or the penchant of Bible readers to read in self-justifying ways. Among the unifying themes of this study are the convictions that readers—whatever their qualifications, background, or ...
Page 4
... force, unisex, etc. When Jesus Christ returns to the earth, He will establish world unity, but until then, a divided earth seems to be His plan.4 In a spectator culture that is titillated by bizarre expressions of religiosity, people ...
... force, unisex, etc. When Jesus Christ returns to the earth, He will establish world unity, but until then, a divided earth seems to be His plan.4 In a spectator culture that is titillated by bizarre expressions of religiosity, people ...
Page 5
... forces explored in this book, readers of Genesis have construed chapters 9–11 as a thematic whole, reflecting the themes of dispersion and differentiation. In modern European and American racial discourse, Genesis 9 has been regarded ...
... forces explored in this book, readers of Genesis have construed chapters 9–11 as a thematic whole, reflecting the themes of dispersion and differentiation. In modern European and American racial discourse, Genesis 9 has been regarded ...
Contents
3 | |
21 | |
HONOR AND ORDER | 63 |
NOAHS CAMERA | 123 |
REDEEMING THE CURSE | 175 |
Notes | 223 |
Bibliography | 299 |
Index | 314 |
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Common terms and phrases
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