The Uncomfortable Truth: How Christianity Both Supported and Fought Against Slavery

Chuvic - April 28, 2025

Christianity’s relationship with slavery reveals a complex historical tension. The same faith that preached love and equality was twisted to justify the enslavement of millions, while also providing the moral foundation for abolition movements. This paradox shaped societies across the Americas, Europe, and Africa during the transatlantic slave trade era. Let’s explore how religious teachings became both chains and keys to freedom.

Misused Biblical Citations To Justify Oppression

Southern churches regularly quoted Ephesians 6:5 (“Slaves, obey your earthly masters”) to control enslaved people. Ministers like James Henley Thornwell pushed these verses as proof of divine approval for slavery. They conveniently ignored important context about Roman slavery systems, which differed greatly from racial chattel slavery. This selective reading created a false biblical mandate that countless slaveholders used to justify their cruel practices.

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The Curse of Ham Myth Supported Racial Slavery

White theologians corrupted Genesis 9:25-27, falsely claiming Africans were cursed for servitude through Noah’s condemnation of Canaan. Nothing in this biblical passage mentions race or skin color, yet this mistaken interpretation spread widely through works like Josiah Priest’s 1852 “Bible Defence of Slavery.” European and American slaveholders happily adopted this convenient religious fiction to justify their practices. The myth’s remarkable persistence shows how biblical texts were deliberately manipulated to serve economic interests rather than spiritual truth or accurate scholarship.

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Slaveholders Claimed Divine Authority

South Carolina Governor James Hammond argued slavery fit God’s hierarchical plan, with whites as stewards over “inferior races.” Many Southern preachers taught submission as a Christian virtue specifically for enslaved people. Such teachings directly contradicted Christianity’s broader message about human dignity. This contradiction allowed wealthy plantation owners to attend church on Sunday while overseeing brutal whippings on Monday.

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Christianity Was Used to Justify Colonial Expansion

Portuguese missionary António Vieira in the 1600s framed enslaving Africans as mercy, bringing them to Christianity. Spain and Portugal used this excuse to expand their slave trading operations. Forced conversions often stripped Africans of their cultural identities completely. Colonial powers claimed moral superiority while building empires on human suffering, creating a legacy that still affects global relationships today.

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Profit Was Portrayed as Divine Blessing

Virginia planter William Byrd II and others presented slavery as God’s system for building wealth in Christian nations. Southern clergy connected cotton profits directly to divine favor and blessing. This view completely ignored the brutal exploitation that generated these riches. Religious leaders rarely questioned how Christian economies could thrive through practices that violated their faith’s basic teachings about treating others with love and compassion.

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The Golden Rule Challenged Slavery

Quaker abolitionist John Woolman in the 1750s emphasized “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) as fundamentally incompatible with owning other humans. Anti-slavery pamphlets questioned how Christians could enslave their “neighbors” while following Jesus. Many slaveholders simply ignored this principle when it threatened their economic interests. The clear contradiction between this teaching and slavery practices fueled growing abolitionist movements throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

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Equality in Christ Inspired Freedom Fighters

Frederick Douglass cited Galatians 3:28 (“There is neither slave nor free”) to argue for both spiritual and social equality. This verse sparked intense debates at the 1837 Anti-Slavery Convention in London. Pro-slavery theologians tried to limit this equality to spiritual matters only. They wanted to preserve social hierarchies. The passage became a powerful rallying cry for Christians opposed to slavery. They saw human bondage as fundamentally contrary to their faith’s core message about human worth and dignity.

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The Exodus Story Powered Liberation Movements

The biblical account of God freeing the Israelites from Egyptian bondage inspired anti-slavery activism, especially among Black Christians. Denmark Vesey used this narrative to frame freedom as God’s will when planning his 1822 rebellion. This interpretation directly challenged slaveholders’ biblical justifications for submission. The Exodus story provided both spiritual comfort and revolutionary motivation for enslaved communities throughout the Americas.

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Human Dignity Arguments Undermined Slavery

Quakers’ 1688 Germantown Protest used Genesis 1:27 (humans made in God’s image) to oppose slavery. Their argument highlighted the inherent worth of all people, contradicting the dehumanization of Africans. Some Christian slaveholders invented racial hierarchies to resolve this tension. The Quakers’ stance represented one of America’s earliest formal religious protests against slavery, establishing a foundation for later abolitionist movements centered on human dignity.

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Jesus’ Compassion Motivated Abolitionists

William Wilberforce’s fight against slavery centered on Jesus’ call to care for the oppressed (Luke 4:18). His religious conviction drove the British Clapham Sect to secure the 1807 Slave Trade Act. Southern churches often downplayed such verses to maintain slavery. Wilberforce’s twenty-year campaign demonstrated how Christian teachings could fuel political action against human trafficking when interpreted through a lens of compassion rather than control.

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Southern Baptists Formed to Defend Slavery

The Southern Baptist denomination formally split from northern Baptists in 1845, specifically over slavery after bitter theological disputes about mission work. Religious leaders like Richard Furman passionately defended the practice as biblically sanctioned and morally acceptable for Christians. Their 1844 resolutions explicitly endorsed slaveholding as compatible with Christian duty and moral character. This stubborn pro-slavery stance continued until their belated formal apology in 1995, leaving a painful legacy.

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Methodist Leaders Changed Their Position on Slavery

Southern Methodist leaders like William Capers deliberately abandoned John Wesley’s strong anti-slavery teachings when they became economically inconvenient in the plantation South. They published materials like the 1854 “Catechism for Slaves” specifically teaching submission as a religious duty for enslaved converts. This approach directly contradicted Methodism’s early principled opposition to human bondage under Wesley’s leadership. The Methodist denomination’s bitter 1844 split over slavery accurately reflected the broader national tensions, which soon led to civil war, permanently altering American religious geography.

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Southern Presbyterians Defended the “Divine Institution”

Presbyterian theologian James Henley Thornwell led Southern Presbyterians in upholding slavery as part of God’s social order. Their 1861 General Assembly formally declared slavery a divine institution, aligning with Confederate values. Northern Presbyterians increasingly opposed slavery, creating deep denominational divisions. This split shows how the same religious tradition interpreted identical texts in completely opposite ways based on regional cultural influences.

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Wealthy Episcopalians Protected Their Interests

Southern Episcopal dioceses, especially in plantation-rich South Carolina, consistently supported slavery through strategic silence or occasional justifying sermons from sympathetic priests. Wealthy Episcopalian planters generously funded churches that carefully avoided criticizing their primary source of wealth and social position. This institutional complicity sharply contradicted the denomination’s later abolitionist voices from Northern dioceses. The Episcopal Church’s compromised position showed how financial dependence on slaveholders seriously compromised religious moral authority, creating lasting institutional damage that required generations to address.

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Quakers Led Early Abolition Efforts

Anthony Benezet and fellow Quakers advocated for abolition beginning with the 1688 Germantown Protest. Such views faced intense social opposition at the time. By 1776, Philadelphia’s Yearly Meeting had banned members from owning slaves completely. Their numerous pamphlets influenced global anti-slavery movements, especially in Britain. Quakers’ consistent moral opposition established an important religious counterpoint to pro-slavery denominations. Their witness helped keep abolitionist ideas alive during periods when they were deeply unpopular and sometimes dangerous to express.

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New England Churches Hosted Anti-Slavery Lectures

Congregationalist churches supported abolition throughout the 1830s. They provided crucial platforms for anti-slavery speakers. Their 1853 General Assembly formally condemned slavery as sinful despite potential consequences. This activism made them targets of Southern threats and criticism. These Northern churches provided meeting spaces, funding, and moral support for abolitionists. They did this when such positions still faced significant public opposition. Some congregations even faced violence for their anti-slavery stance.

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Unitarians Emphasized Human Worth

William Ellery Channing stressed human dignity in opposing slavery in his influential 1835 “Slavery” essay. Boston Unitarian congregations became centers for abolitionist organizing despite initial caution. Their rational theological approach challenged pro-slavery biblical literalism through textual analysis. Unitarians focused on reason and human worth rather than emotional appeals. This offered intellectual foundations for Christians uncomfortable with slavery’s moral implications. Their approach attracted educated reformers who sought logical arguments against the peculiar institution.

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The AME Church Fought for Black Freedom

Richard Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal church in 1816 as a center for Black Christian life free from white control. AME leaders like Jarena Lee preached liberation and organized assistance for escaped slaves. The denomination’s growth reflected Black Christians’ rejection of pro-slavery churches. This independent Black denomination became a powerful force for both spiritual nurture and political activism during and after slavery.

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George Whitefield’s Contradictory Legacy

The famous Great Awakening preacher George Whitefield preached spiritual equality while owning slaves at his Georgia orphanage. He even lobbied for slavery’s legalization in Georgia in 1751. His revivalist sermons inspired both enslaved converts and abolitionists alike. His failure to condemn slavery disappointed admirers like poet Phillis Wheatley, showing how even renowned religious figures struggled with the contradictions between faith and practice.

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Thomas Jefferson’s Religious Hypocrisy

Jefferson wrote about God-given liberty in the Declaration while enslaving over 600 people, including his own children with Sally Hemings. His 1785 “Notes on Virginia” defended racial inferiority despite his faith’s egalitarian ideals. Jefferson privately expressed guilt but freed very few slaves. His contradictions represent America’s founding paradox—proclaiming divine freedom principles while building a nation partly on human bondage.

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Phillis Wheatley Found Voice Through Faith

This enslaved Christian poet’s 1773 “Poems on Various Subjects” praised God while subtly criticizing slavery. Her work challenged stereotypes about African intellectual inferiority during the Revolutionary era. She remained enslaved until her master’s death despite international literary acclaim. Her faith provided artistic power, but couldn’t secure physical freedom. This illustrated Christianity’s limited protection for enslaved believers. Her talent was recognized even as her humanity was denied. Her work represented one of many ways enslaved people used Christianity to maintain dignity under oppression.

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Enslaved Christians Created Liberation Theology

Enslaved preachers like Nat Turner creatively interpreted scripture through freedom lenses, seeing themselves and their communities as modern Israelites under Egyptian-like bondage. Secret “hush harbor” worship meetings centered on divine deliverance stories that offered hope beyond current suffering. This theological reinterpretation actively empowered various forms of resistance against daily oppression. Turner’s 1831 rebellion, rooted in his intense religious visions, dramatically showed how Christianity could fuel revolutionary action when understood from the perspective of the oppressed rather than the oppressor.

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Spiritual Songs Encoded Freedom Messages

Spirituals like “Go Down, Moses” contained hidden escape instructions while expressing Christian hope. Harriet Tubman used these songs during her Underground Railroad missions to communicate secretly. Songs allowed enslaved communities to worship under constant surveillance. These musical expressions blended African rhythms with Christian themes, creating an art form that sustained both faith and resistance under brutal conditions.

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Secret Churches Built Solidarity

Enslaved Christians formed hidden church communities in places like South Carolina’s Lowcountry to pray and plan resistance. Leaders like Morris Brown fostered solidarity and hope in these gatherings. These autonomous communities contrasted sharply with plantation churches preaching submission. These secret congregations preserved African religious practices alongside Christian worship, creating distinctive faith traditions that survived into freedom.

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Christianity Provided Moral Authority to Challenge Owners

Enslaved preachers like David Walker used Christian ethics in his 1829 “Appeal” to condemn slaveholders’ hypocrisy. They argued that authentic Christianity fundamentally opposed oppression, citing Jesus’ teachings. This critique continued in Black churches after emancipation. By using slaveholders’ own religious texts against them, enslaved Christians exposed the fundamental moral contradictions that slavery created within American Christianity.

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Conclusion

Christianity’s relationship with slavery remains one of history’s great paradoxes. The same Bible justified both bondage and freedom. Religious institutions both defended and fought slavery. Enslaved Christians found hope through faith while enduring systems supported by Christian slaveholders. Understanding this complex historical relationship helps us recognize how religious texts and traditions can be both misused to oppress and properly applied to liberate. This legacy continues to shape conversations about faith, justice, and reconciliation today.

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