Noah's Curse: The Biblical Justification of American SlaveryOxford University Press, 2002 M03 28 - 322 pages "A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren." So reads Noah's curse on his son Ham, and all his descendants, in Genesis 9:25. Over centuries of interpretation, Ham came to be identified as the ancestor of black Africans, and Noah's curse to be seen as biblical justification for American slavery and segregation. Examining the history of the American interpretation of Noah's curse, this book begins with an overview of the prior history of the reception of this scripture and then turns to the distinctive and creative ways in which the curse was appropriated by American pro-slavery and pro-segregation interpreters. |
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Page viii
... Babel (Genesis 11:1–9), without which the role of Noah's curse in American history cannot be properly understood; and by analyzing the way Genesis 9 and its cognate texts were employed in American racial discourse after the demise of ...
... Babel (Genesis 11:1–9), without which the role of Noah's curse in American history cannot be properly understood; and by analyzing the way Genesis 9 and its cognate texts were employed in American racial discourse after the demise of ...
Page 4
... Babel were seeking a man-glorifying unity which God has not ordained (Gen. 11:4–6). Much of the agitation for intermarriage among the races today is for the same reason. It is promoted by one-worlders, and we oppose it for the same ...
... Babel were seeking a man-glorifying unity which God has not ordained (Gen. 11:4–6). Much of the agitation for intermarriage among the races today is for the same reason. It is promoted by one-worlders, and we oppose it for the same ...
Page 6
... Babel is a classic example of what contemporary literary critics call intertextuality. References in Genesis 10 to Babel and Shinar (“The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar,” v. 10) ...
... Babel is a classic example of what contemporary literary critics call intertextuality. References in Genesis 10 to Babel and Shinar (“The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar,” v. 10) ...
Page 10
... Babel's tower became the chief representative of a Hamite character typified not by dishonor but by disorder and rebellion. Thus, when studied chronologically, American readings of Genesis 9–11 reveal a development in the biblical ...
... Babel's tower became the chief representative of a Hamite character typified not by dishonor but by disorder and rebellion. Thus, when studied chronologically, American readings of Genesis 9–11 reveal a development in the biblical ...
Page 13
... Babel were more universal in scope and application than stories from Hebrew history. The postdiluvian Adam and his descendants possessed a timeless relevance that was not lost on Palmer or his auditors.50 A careful examination of ...
... Babel were more universal in scope and application than stories from Hebrew history. The postdiluvian Adam and his descendants possessed a timeless relevance that was not lost on Palmer or his auditors.50 A careful examination of ...
Contents
3 | |
21 | |
HONOR AND ORDER | 63 |
NOAHS CAMERA | 123 |
REDEEMING THE CURSE | 175 |
Notes | 223 |
Bibliography | 299 |
Index | 314 |
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According Adam African American antebellum appear argument association Babel became become Bible Bible readers biblical blessing Book brothers Cain called Canaan century chapter character Christian Church cited Civil claim Commentary culture death descendants desire distinct divine early earth fact father Flood forces Genesis 9 Girard given God’s Ham’s Hamites Hebrew honor human Ibid influence institution interpretation James Japheth John land legend Letters means mind nakedness nature Negro Nimrod Noah Noah’s curse notes observes original Palmer patriarch Presbyterian present Priest prophecy proslavery Providence published question race racial racism readings of Genesis rebellion reference reflected regarded relations religion religious role Scripture segregation separation servitude sexual Shem slave slavery social society sons South Southern story tents theme tower tradition University Press victim violence writes York