The Slaves of the Churches: A History by Mary E. Sommar
William Chester Jordan
Reviewed by: The Slaves of the Churches: A History by Mary E. Sommar William Chester Jordan History. By Sommar. (New York: Oxford University Press. 2020. Pp. [viii], 268. $38.95. ISBN 9780190073268.) This book addresses way Church treated issue slavery from time Jesus until late medieval commencement Atlantic intercontinental slave trade, but it goes into detail only through mid-thirteenth century, period classical canon law. Indeed, principal texts that author marshals are canonistic, for earliest period, she looks at other writings both Fathers and subsequent leading clerical figures. author’s characterization her work as an “analysis” appears several times in text, I found difficult to justify this description. For, extent has value, is its referencing passages letters, conciliar collections, etc. one or another touch on churchmen’s ideas about slavery. More particularly, indicates those parts certain address naturalness unnaturalness slavery, various processes manumission, legal doctrine inalienability church property relation slaves owned individual churches churchmen. It useful have all these noted summarized, does not constitute analysis (see especially, pp. 68–72). Imprecision a characteristic feature remarks. favorite locution “a lot of” (for example, 59, 60, 99, 115, 227), phrases words, like “pretty much” (p. 102) “often” 116), weaken prose. “Abolition” variants term also favorites (pp. 18–19, 28, 35, 56, 66, 99–100, 101, 153, etc.). For quest find abolitionism past. When cannot it, laments inhumanity churchmen who refused manumit them manumitted with conditions line property. finds normative statement be favor abolition, refuses believe it. Writing Gregory Nyssa’s Fourth Homily Ecclesiastes, acknowledges his discourse “certainly sound abolitionist thinking” 99). However, immediately adds, “he never actually called change economic practice using labor.” Later 101), repeats “was abolitionist. [He] lived world where idea abolishing was something could even been imagined.” If so, then why search tediously remind one’s readers X abolitionist, Y on? Let us assume moment actors were genuinely unable think thoughts. nevertheless case that, Professor [End Page 779] documents, admonished their flock treat kindness. Now, moral principles underlying such admonitions do mean owners whom they addressed followed advice. Nor preclude possibility hypocrites poorly. far cry conceding possibilities writing statement, regard Carolingian churches, “the vast agricultural estates employed thousands unfree laborers . behaved no differently toward servile personnel than did secular similarly large establishments” 244). proof establish accuracy which really accusation. accusation grounded belief free-born Romans had “contempt” ancient negative attitude persisted among Catholic clergy more thousand years, is, millennium after decline Western Empire. “Contempt” strong term. What evidence? “A preacher,” informs readers, “exhorted his...
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