Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery? Audiobook By Joshua Bowen cover art

Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?

By: Joshua Bowen
Narrated by: Joshua Bowen, Megan Lewis
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.59

Buy for $15.59

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

The God of the Old Testament commanded and endorsed many practices that we find morally reprehensible today. High on the list was the institution of slavery, which features prominently in several sections of the Hebrew Bible. Fathers could sell their daughters into slavery; masters could beat their slaves; creditors could carry off children for failure to repay a debt; and foreigners could be kept for life, passed down as inherited property. How are we to make sense of all of this from our modern point of view?

Atheists and skeptics will often say that the God of the Old Testament was a moral monster for endorsing such atrocities. Christians will often respond that the slavery in the Hebrew Bible wasn’t as bad as we think, and was more like having a job or owning a credit card. While both sides of this debate are sincere in their positions, neither are ultimately correct. Our conclusions must derive from a thorough understanding of both the Old Testament and ancient Near-Eastern contexts.

This book will:

1. Provide a detailed overview of slavery laws and practices in the Old Testament and the ancient Near East.

2. Examine the significant - and highly controversial - passages in the Hebrew Bible that deal with slavery, including laws about beating your slave, taking foreign chattel slaves, and what to do if a slave runs away from their master.

3. Answer the most challenging questions about slavery in the Old Testament, including, “Could you beat your slave within an inch of their life and get away with it?” “Were slaves just property that had no human rights?”, and “Did the Old Testament really endorse slavery?”

©2020 Joshua Bowen (P)2020 Joshua Bowen
Biblical History & Culture Commentaries Judaism Sacred writing
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent work

This is Michael Coogan level work. Some familiar territory to help the reader feel like they’re on the same level, then blow their minds with the language and its context in other biblical passages. The author and partner Lewis dismantle some of the most common arguments against the idea of biblical slavery. After reading this book, one has to wonder why the arguments exist at all.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

generically useful

scholarly in a limited sense and slightly left of theological center. more useful as a basic introduction than as a full treatment.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!