The Rhetoric of Slavery and the Argument for Concord in 1 Clement

2025/09/17 by Jeremiah Bailey · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · #Theology and Canon Law Studies

paper · doi:10.1163/9789004742062_004

openalex publication_date 2025/09/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

This essay explores how the concept of slavery functions within the deliberative rhetoric of 1 Clement. It first considers the rarity of references to literal slavery and the complete absence of such references where they would normally be found, as in the two household codes in the letter. This scarcity is then contrasted with the overwhelming pervasiveness of the image of divine slavery throughout the letter. The paper then explores how a theory of economic conflict might account for both of these features, proposing that the author universalizes human life as slavery to God to promote the acceptance of class difference as part of a divine plan for order and financial stability for the whole community.

Discussions

• After being out of the classroom so long, I barely feel like a scholar anymore, but I am excited to see this finally come out. I'm quite eager to read the revised forms of several of these contributio [bsky, 1 points, 0 comments]

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