By Okoi Obono-Obla
Christianity, Slavery, and Jurisprudence in the Americas-
Biblical Justifications
Most Christian denominations historically supported slavery, often citing biblical passages to defend the practice. Slaveholders and clergy invoked scripture to portray bondage as divinely sanctioned:
– Leviticus 25:44–46: “Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you… they will become your property.”
– Joshua 9:23: “Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never cease being slaves…”
– Ephesians 6:5–6: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, as you obey Christ.”
– Colossians 3:22: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything… with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”
These verses were repeatedly weaponized in sermons and legal arguments to justify the enslavement of Africans.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade
More than 12.5 million Africans were abducted, falsely imprisoned, and transported to the Americas. Millions more perished during the horrific Middle Passage, a journey that often lasted up to six months. Victims were thrown into the ocean or died from disease, famine, and brutal treatment under unspeakable conditions that stripped them of humanity and dignity. This mass atrocity remains one of history’s darkest chapters.
The havoc suffered by Africans was horrendous, unimaginable, and unfathomable. The slave trade left African communities desolate, despoiled, stripped, plundered, depopulated, and spiritless. The ugly scar and legacy of slavery were hardly erased before colonization arrived with its own devastation and destructive legacies—many of which still persist today.
Influence on U.S. Jurisprudence
American courts reflected these theological and philosophical justifications in their rulings:
– Scott v. Sandford (1857): The Supreme Court declared that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be citizens of the United States and had no standing to sue in federal court. This entrenched slavery as a legally protected institution.
– The Antelope (1825): The Court ruled that while the slave trade was contrary to natural law, it was not prohibited by international law unless explicitly outlawed by treaties or statutes. This legitimized continued trafficking under certain jurisdictions.
– Fugitive Slave Act Cases: Courts upheld laws requiring escaped slaves to be returned to their owners, reinforcing biblical and constitutional justifications for bondage.
Conclusion:
Christianity’s institutional support for slavery, reinforced by selective biblical interpretation, provided moral and legal cover for centuries of oppression. The transatlantic slave trade devastated millions of African lives, while U.S. Supreme Court rulings such as Scott v. Sandford and The Antelope illustrate how deeply these religious and philosophical justifications permeated American jurisprudence. The scars of slavery and colonization left African communities ravaged, and their legacies continue to shape societies today.
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