1st Edition
The Curse of Ham in the Early Modern Era The Bible and the Justifications for Slavery
By David M. Whitford
Copyright 2009
244 Pages
by
Routledge
244 Pages
by
Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
For hundreds of years, the biblical story of the Curse of Ham was marshalled as a justification of serfdom, slavery and human bondage. According to the myth, having seen his father Noah naked, Ham's is cursed to have his descendants be forever slaves. In this new book the Curse of Ham is explored in its Reformation context, revealing how it became the cornerstone of the Christian defence of... Read more
Contents: Preface; The Bible and slavery; The sons of Noah and the estates of Man; Gods, giants, and kings; Losing Canaan: early modern exegesis of Genesis 9; This heavy curse: popularizing the Curse of Ham; Cursed be Ham the Father of Canaan: from myth to reality; The self-interpreting Bible; Bibliography; Index
Biography
David M. Whitford, United Theological Seminary, USA
’...very interesting and finely researched...Recommended.’ Choice 'Displaying much erudition, the author has exhaustively revealed new details from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries about the emergence and diffusion of the Curse.' Catholic Historical Review 'David M. Whitford's outstanding exegetical and intellectual history completes the scholarly picture of the origins and uses of Genesis 9 to justify slavery... Whitford displays tremendous learning and scholarship as well as good judgement in uncovering the twisted history of this biblical myth and the eventual cobbling together of the "Frankenstein creation" of Ham as a black African slave.' American Historical Review 'This topic's resonance with contemporary issues of social justice, racism, and the role of scholarship in effecting justice makes this a valuable book for not only scholars of the early modern period, but also for those who study American religious history.' Sixteenth Century Journal ’Whitford’s important study is a masterful work of intellectual history and historical exegesis that follows Noah’s curse through centuries of interpretation and development.’ Lutheran Quarterly
