Domestic Slavery Considered as a Scriptural Institution

by Finn, Nathan A.; Harper, Keith

• ISBN13: 9780881461077
• ISBN10: 0881461075
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-05-01
• Publisher: Mercer Univ Pr

Summary

Domestic Slavery originated in the nineteenth century as a literary debate between two Baptist leaders over the Bible's teachings on slavery. The chapters were originally letters published in a Baptist newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts. Southern pastor Richard Fuller and Northern educator Francis Wayland were each able defenders of their respective positions. These men were also good friends who believed that a difference of opinion about slavery should not necessitate a breaking of Christian fellowship. Unfortunately, these two Baptists leaders proved naive in this regard. Just weeks after the publication of the correspondence in book form, Fuller's Southern Baptist Convention broke away from the larger Baptist denomination and formed a new ecclesiastical body. A number of issues factored into the division, though the slavery debate was what ultimately led to the creation of a separate Baptist denomination in the South.

Author Biography

Keith Harper is currently professor of Church History at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction	p. ix
Introduction to the 1847 Edition	p. 1
The Letter from Dr. Fuller to the Editor of the Christian Reflector	p. 3
Dr. Wayland's Letters to Dr. Fuller	p. 12
Errors on Both Sides	p. 12
Definition of Slavery-Two Meanings of the Term Moral Evil-Slavery a Violation of Human Rights	p. 18
The Holding of Slaves Does Not Necessarily Involve Guilt-Principles by Which the Innocence or Guilt Is to Be Determined	p. 28
Examination of the Argument in Favor of SLAVERY from the Old Testament	p. 38
The Doctrine of Expediency	p. 49
The Argument in Favor of Slavery from the New Testament	p. 58
The Method of Prohibiting Slavery in the New Testament-Principles and Permission	p. 71
The Duties Devolving on Christian Slaveholders	p. 82
Dr. Fuller's Letters to Dr. Wayland	p. 94
The Southern States Not Answerable for the Existence of Domestic Slavery	p. 94
Slavery Is Not to be Confounded with the Abuses of Slavery	p. 102
Slavery Proper, No Violation of Right-Analogy with Civil Government-Despotism-Comparison of the Condition of Slaves with That of Laborers in Other Countries	p. 109
The Argument from the Old Testament	p. 122
The Argument form the New Testament-Argument, Inference, Proof, Demonstration	p. 136
The Mode of Teaching by Principle in this Case at Variance with the Character of God-The Practice of the Primitive Church	p. 149
Dr Wayland's Closing Letter	p. 166
Appendix I	p. 187
Appendix II	p. 198
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