Symbolic Blackness And Ethnic Difference In Early Christian Literature

Gay Byron creates a solid foundation of theoretical arguments as the basis for her discussion of the presence of Blacks in Christian antiquity. Her study will appeal to a range of disciplines, including biblical and cultural studies.

How were early Christians influenced by contemporary assumptions about ethnic and colour differences? Why were early Christian writers so attracted to the subject of Blacks, Egyptians, and Ethiopians? Looking at the neglected issue of race brings valuable new perspectives to the study of the ancient world; now Gay Byron's exciting work is the first to survey and theorise Blacks, Egyptians and Ethiopians in Christian antiquity. By combining innovative theory and methodology with a detailed survey of early Christian writings, Byron shows how perceptions about ethnic and color differences influenced the discursive strategies of ancient Christian authors. She demonstrates convincingly that, in spite of the contention that Christianity was to extend to all peoples, certain groups of Christians were marginalized and rendered invisible and silent. Original and pioneering, this book will inspire discussion at every level, encouraging a broader and more sophisticated understanding of early Christianity for scholars and students alike.

How were early Christians influenced by contemporary assumptions about ethnic and colour differences? Why were early Christian writers so attracted to the subject of Blacks, Egyptians, and Ethiopians? Looking at the neglected issue of race brings valuable new perspectives to the study of the ancient world; now Gay Byron's exciting work is the first to survey and theorise Blacks, Egyptians and Ethiopians in Christian antiquity. By combining innovative theory and methodology with a detailed survey of early Christian writings, Byron shows how perceptions about ethnic and color differences influenced the discursive strategies of ancient Christian authors. She demonstrates convincingly that, in spite of the contention that Christianity was to extend to all peoples, certain groups of Christians were marginalized and rendered invisible and silent. Original and pioneering, this book will inspire discussion at every level, encouraging a broader and more sophisticated understanding of early Christianity for scholars and students alike.

An examination of the charge of barbarism against the early Christians in the context of ancient rhetorical practices and mechanisms of othering, marginalization and persecution in the Roman Empire.

This volume is an engaging and provocative introduction to Feminist Biblical Studies. The authors draw upon their own social, cultural and religious backgrounds and experiences in reading the New Testament as feminists in the context of globalization. They provide intentional interpretations of biblical texts that cast gender, race, class and power relationships as issues inherent in both the content and context of scripture and its interpretation. The essays call into question feminist social engagement that does not extend beyond academic halls, churches and Christians, suggesting directions for future research and teaching in Feminist Biblical Studies.

2011 Winner of the Book Awards Contest in the Discipline of Theology Presented by Alpha Sigma Nu The apostle Paul wrote that "All of you are one in Christ Jesus." Given Paul’s vision of God’s kingdom defined by the breakdown of all distinctions and relationships of domination—no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female—how do we make sense of ethnic particularity within the church’s theological formulations? Racism and God-Talk explores the biblical and religious dimensions of North American racism while highlighting examples of resistance within the Christian religious tradition. Social historians have seldom analyzed the problematic of race from a primarily theological perspective. This volume undertakes a critical examination of explicitly theological and confessional perspectives for understanding and transforming North American racism. Rosario Rodriguez offers insights from Latino/a theology for broader scholarly and social discussions concerning racism, borders, and immigration. The first to analyze race and racism from a Latino/a theological perspective, the volume makes use of a broadened conceptualization of "mestizaje," or mutual cultural exchange, to challenge the church to recognize the effects of racial and ethnic particularity in all theological construction.

Envisioning Others offers a multidisciplinary view of the relationship between race and visual culture in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world, from the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal to colonial Peru and Colombia, post-Independence Mexico, and the pre-Emancipation United States.

Berkowitz shows that interpretation of Leviticus 18:3 provides an essential backdrop for today's conversations about Jewish assimilation and minority identity.