Ep 217: Ancient Slavery and the New Testament with Christy Cobb and Katherine Shaner

September 2, 2025
Protestant Libertarian Podcast

In this episode I talk with Dr. Christy Cobb and Dr. Katherine Shaner about the new book they coedited entitled Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts, out now on Eerdmans. They explain the institution of slavery in antiquity, its pervasiveness in Greco-Roman society, and how Romans and Jews alike thought about slavery. Dr. Cobb explains her chapter on gender roles, noting how men and women experienced slavery differently, and Dr. Shaner explains her chapter on New Testament household codes and their complex presentation of slavery. We then talk about the conflicting instructions regarding slavery in the New Testament, the Bible’s role in the abolitionist movement, and why Christians should seriously think about this issue.

Additional Resources

Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts: https://a.co/d/bixo0LZChristy Cobb Bio: https://liberalarts.du.edu/about/people/christy-cobb
Christy Cobb Academia: https://udenver.academia.edu/ChristyCobb

Katherine Shaner Bio: https://divinity.wfu.edu/academics/faculty/katherine-a-shaner/

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