Paul and Roman Slavery Under Nero's Rule

In this book, I offer a persuasive historical explanation of why Paul did not explicitly condemn the institution of Roman slavery and why Paul did not urge that freedom be granted to all Roman slaves. In an earlier book, I showed that the Stoic philosopher Seneca did not condemn Roman slavery or call for emancipation because Seneca accepted the absolute authority of the Emperor Nero as the de facto political slave master of the Roman world, despite Seneca's emphasis on the human dignity of the slave. In the same way, Paul's acceptance of Nero's absolute authority as the political slave master of the Roman world foreclosed any attack on Roman slavery or even a call for gradual emancipation of slaves, although Paul, like Seneca, emphasized the dignity of the slave. This book focuses on the specific historical and political circumstances of Paul. Therefore, this book does not seek to offer a comprehensive theological study of the Christian view of political authority as contained in the entire New Testament or as developed in later Christian tradition.