A Biblical Rebuke of Slavery
We reflect on the moral,
ethical, and philosophical
underpinnings of chattel slavery
What Does God Think of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade?
by Dr. Sarah Buckland-Reynolds
August 23 is commemorated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as the International Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
Specifically, the historical period of the Transatlantic slave trade still stands as one of the greatest barriers to the acceptance of Christianity among many persons of African descent today in the West, including North America and the Caribbean.
Questions on how God could allow such suffering and even more profoundly, whether the Bible endorsed such practices, forms stumbling blocks to many when the subject of Christianity is brought up. This is understandable as our history books record how many slave masters claimed ‘Christian affiliations,’ using the Bible to justify their actions and repress freedom of the enslaved.
In commemoration of this solemn day remembering the horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, we reflect on the moral, ethical, and philosophical roots and fruits of the slave trade and the role of Christianity in the abolition movement. We also explore how in fact, the same philosophies that underpin secular evolutionism that persist today were some of the drivers perpetuating the practice of chattel slavery.
The Bible and Slavery Across Human History
Reading the Bible from its second book (Exodus), it becomes clear to note that slavery has been a practice for millennia, with its practice (in savagery) not only perpetrated by Europe. Beyond the account of Egyptian slavery, history shows slave practices from ancient Mesopotamia, through Greece and Rome, to Asian empires. Throughout much of this practice, the driving factors have been similar: greed (justified by economic factors), conquest, and the desire for power. In some cases, the notion of cultural superiority also drove these practices. Regardless of the driving factors, at its core, these practices represented a denial of human dignity.
So, how does one reconcile the fact that the Bible not only records events of slavery and even regulated the practice in the Law of Moses?
The servitude regulated in the Old Testament was not chattel slavery, where people are owned as property for life. Instead, it was closer to indentured servitude, often tied to debt repayment or poverty relief. In Leviticus 25:39–41, God commands: “If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers… and they are to serve you until the Year of Jubilee. Then they and their children are to be released.” This system ensured that servitude was temporary, restorative, and never dehumanizing. Servants were to be treated with dignity, and their release was guaranteed.
The New Testament continues this liberating trajectory. Paul’s letter to Philemon urges him to receive Onesimus “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother” (Philemon 1:16). In 1 Timothy 1:9–10, Paul lists “slave traders” among those condemned by God’s law, placing them alongside murderers and liars. And in Galatians 3:28, Paul proclaims: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” These verses affirm the radical equality of all people in Christ, dismantling the very foundations of the type of practices we know as ‘slavery’ today.
The Scriptures make the distinction between forced slavery and ‘slavery’ as hired help even clearer by defining penalties for specific practices linked with chattel slavery. For example, the Bible consistently rejects the kind of kidnapping and perpetual bondage that defined the transatlantic slave trade. In Exodus 21:16, the law is unequivocal:
“Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.”
This directly condemns the practice of seizing Africans from their homeland and selling them into slavery. Likewise, Deuteronomy 24:7 declares:
“If a man is caught kidnapping any of his fellow Israelites and treating him as a slave or selling him, the kidnapper must die.”
The Law of Moses even forbade anyone from returning an enslaved person (regardless of the nation of origin) who ran away from the person who enslaved him or her:
“If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand them over to their master. Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress them.” Deuteronomy 23:15–16.
These passages show that the Bible did not indeed create favourable conditions for the type of slavery practiced in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. In fact, under the Law of Moses, such traders would have been met with capital punishment!
These Scriptures also reveal that the Bible’s regulation of ‘servitude’ was never about ownership of human beings as property, rather, it sought to protect the vulnerable, limit exploitation, and ultimately point toward freedom and equality. The harsh penalties against kidnapping, the protections for servants, and the insistence on brotherhood in Christ all demonstrate that the Bible’s moral framework is utterly incompatible with the horrors of chattel slavery.
What about the so-called “Christian” Slave Traders of the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
While some may be surprised at the explicit condemnation of abduction, some may still question how history records that the enslaved were subdued partially by Biblical justifications by the slave traders. However, instead of showing a Bible that supports their practices, a closer look at the full historical record shows that the slave masters themselves were so convinced and fearful that reading of the full Bible would have the opposite effect than the subduing or discouraging freedom, that they often censored these passages. Instead of providing access to full Bible, the only text accessible was called: “Parts of the Holy Bible, selected for the use of the Negro Slaves, in the British West-India Islands“ For example, most of the Book of Exodus was reportedly excluded from the Biblical text available to those during slavery. It was estimated that over 90% of the Old Testament and 50% of the New Testament were cut out. The so-called Christian slave masters knew that Word of God itself was a weapon of hope and resistance, testifying that humans were never meant for captivity, but for dignity and freedom as image-bearers of God.
Emphasizing this point is greatly important as even though generations have passed since the end of the transatlantic slave trade, many descendants of the enslaved still hold the pain of slavery’s legacy. Associating the horrors with a Biblical justification greatly taints the reality of what occurred.
The “White Man’s Religion”?
Media representation also tends to construe Christianity as the “white man’s religion. More specifically, the common belief that it was the Europeans who forced Christianity on Africa, is a prevailing, yet inaccurate story. In Jamaica, for example, the Rastafari movement arose partly as a revolt against what was perceived as the “white man’s religion.” Rastafari thinkers saw Christianity as complicit in oppression, failing to distinguish between the misuse of religion by slaveholders and the true message of the Gospel. Interestingly enough, Christianity not only reached the African continent before Europe; African states had been recorded to have adopted Christianity as their official state religion even before Constantine did so for Rome. From the early church in Acts, we see Simon from Cyrene or Simon Niger (North Africa) being recorded in Acts as a believer (Acts 13:1), in addition to the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch official from Queen Kandake (Acts 8:26-40).
On top of this reality of a thriving Christian faith within the African continent prior to European colonization, the abolitionist movement was heavily influenced by Biblical thought. History shows that some of the most powerful voices against slavery were devout Christians. One such vocal abolitionist was William Wilberforce, who dedicated his life to abolishing the slave trade inspired by his faith. The Clapham Sect, a group of evangelical reformers, also worked tirelessly to end slavery, motivated by Biblical convictions about human dignity.
The Implications: Acclaiming God’s existence as the basis for human dignity
Ch 8 on White Nationalism is a real eye-opener about its links to Darwinism.
Beyond the historical role of true Christianity in the liberation of the enslaved, those who reject God arguing on the basis of the immorality of slavery, implicitly admit that there are practices that are absolutely, morally, and ethically wrong. Therefore the moral argument against slavery is also an argument for the existence of good and evil. If slavery is universally wrong, then morality is not merely subjective preference. It points to a higher law, that is, a divine standard.
However, without God, on what basis are we left to argue for an absolute morality? Moral bases based on individual preference would produce anarchy – as would produce equally or more chaos in any ‘standard’ appealed to. Appealing to governments as the basis of morality would also not form a coherent basis for claiming slavery is morally wrong – as European colonization itself was endorsed by the monarchy.
The dark logical conclusions of an atheistic foundation of morality are clearly exemplified when also examining how even evolutionary worldviews led to the depreciation of the black race in history. Through Social Darwinism in the 19th century, white Europeans were perceived as more advanced in their ‘evolution’ than blacks. The implications of this influence led to the atrocities of what was dubbed as ‘human zoos’ in the up to even the early 20th century, where Africans, Asians, and Indigenous peoples were displayed as curiosities. Entire villages were recreated to present non-Europeans as “primitive specimens.”
See Discovery Institute’s documentary video “Human Zoos” about this deplorable Social Darwinian practice.
Darwinian racism continues at the Smithsonian to this day. Exhibits portray dark skinned hominins as less evolved.
As can even be seen from the dark social applications of evolutionary logic, any foundation apart from God results in the concepts of good and evil losing their grounding. However, with God, we understand slavery as evil because it violates His design for humanity. The existence of moral outrage itself testifies to the reality of a moral God.
Continuing the Fight Against Atheistic Philosophies
As we commemorate the abolition of the horrors of the slave trade, we must also confront modern forms of slavery that continue to be driven from greed and a rejection of God’s commands. Human trafficking, forced labor, sexual exploitation, and captivity in war zones continue to plague millions worldwide. Just as abolitionists fought against slavery centuries ago, we are called to resist modern systems of bondage.
Liberation from bondage starts with a transformed mindset; one that sets aside the human tendencies of elevating oneself over others, to one that submits to our Creator and acknowledge our fellow humankind as made in the Image of God, worthy of dignity and protection.
As an accurate account of history shows, Christianity offers the most fertile ground for affirming that humans were not meant for captivity. Jesus himself proclaimed freedom: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Luke 4:18). The Gospel is inherently liberating, not oppressive, and continues to affirm that every person has equal value and is worthy of dignity, justice, and love.
The Bible also offers the promise of justice to recompense the horrific acts of the unrepentant in history, including in the slave trade. The Bible often confirms that God hears the cries of the oppressed and promises to bring judgment against those who exploit others:
Psalm 9:9–10 — “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
Psalm 34:17–18 — “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Isaiah 58:6 — “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”
James 5:4 — “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.”
So, on this day, may we offer hope to those who hold to hurt. The human recognition of morality testifies to a Creator who taught us an intrinsic knowledge of the existence of right and wrong, and who promises justice to restore the earth and humanity to the original state of goodness when He returns.
Dr. Sarah Buckland-Reynolds is a Christian, Jamaican, Environmental Science researcher, and journal associate editor. She holds the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geography from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona with high commendation, and a postgraduate specialization in Geomatics at the Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia. The quality of her research activity in Environmental Science has been recognized by various awards including the 2024 Editor’s Award from the American Meteorological Society for her reviewing service in the Weather, Climate and Society Journal, the 2023 L’Oreal/UNESCO Women in Science Caribbean Award, the 2023 ICETEX International Experts Exchange Award for study in Colombia. and with her PhD research in drought management also being shortlisted in the top 10 globally for the 2023 Allianz Climate Risk Award by Munich Re Insurance, Germany. Motivated by her faith in God and zeal to positively influence society, Dr. Buckland-Reynolds is also the founder and Principal Director of Chosen to G.L.O.W. Ministries, a Jamaican charitable organization which seeks to amplify the Christian voice in the public sphere and equip more youths to know how to defend their faith.