There is no mention of freedom for non-Jewish slaves. The point here is that when non-Jewish people (like many African-American women who now claim themselves to be economically enslaved) read the entire Hebrew testament from the point of view of the non-Hebrew slave, there is no clear indication that God is against their perpetual enslavement. Likewise, there is no clear opposition expressed in the Christian testament to the institution of slavery [itself]…. Womanist theologians, especially those who take their slave heritage seriously, are therefore led to question James Cone’s assumption that the African-American theologian can today make paradigmatic use of the Hebrew’s exodus and election experience as recorded in the Bible. Even though Cones sees that for the Hebrews “election is inseparable from the event of the exodus,” he does not see that non-Hebrew female slaves, especially those of African descent, are not on equal terms with the Hebrews and are not woven into this biblical story of election and exodus.
-Delores S. Williams, Sisters in the Wilderness, p.146-147
You ever read a sentence you feel like you’ve been waiting for your whole life?
December 15th, 2016 at 10:21 pm
*Is very curious and wonders if you could elaborate for people with less context*?
December 15th, 2016 at 10:26 pm
Um, can you ask a more specific question? Sorry, I just don’t know where to start. James Cone is a Black liberation theologian who has written about liberatory themes in the Bible and Delores Williams, a womanist, is pointing out where he’s overlooked some stuff that contradicts his message.
December 15th, 2016 at 10:47 pm
I think I wasn’t really sure what you meant you’d been waiting for/you’d been thinking about since 11/no one talks about.
If I’m understanding right now, it’s the ‘not actually inclusion for non-Hebrew [female] slaves’?
December 15th, 2016 at 10:58 pm
Oh, that. I’ve talked before about being frustrated with my youth group when I was 10-14, right? I have a very specific memory of wishing we would talk about something substantial, with slavery in the Bible being one of the things on my mind.
December 15th, 2016 at 11:10 pm
Ah, got it! I think I know that feeling, if in different areas…
(I only started reading your blog constantly recently, so if you have I’m afraid I missed it).
December 15th, 2016 at 11:10 pm
Argle, consistently not constantly. Apologies!