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Can a person be equal in heaven but rightfully enslaved on earth? Puritan religious leaders argued they could. How did they justify this position?
Sign up here for Enslaved Christians, historian Richard Boles' insightful discussion of Puritanism and slavery, online, this Thursday, November 30, 7-8:30pm. It's a discussion you can’t miss if you want to understand New England enslavement.
We've also included links to the primary sources so you can read Mather and Edwards' own words on slavery - have a look here.
Theologians were among the most influential people in early New England – Cotton Mather and Jonathan Edwards, in particular. What did they have to say about slavery; how did they influence public understanding; and why did Mather write rules insisting that enslaved people inform on each other?
Despite their lack of freedom, African newcomers to Boston and its churches also made these institutions their own, shaping New England's churches and society and finding meaning in their faith.
We look forward to seeing you on Zoom this Thursday, 7-8:30pm, at Enslaved Christians: Black Church Members in the Era of Cotton Mather.
Sarah
Sarah Stewart
Partnership of Historic Bostons
historicbostons.org
PS. Don't forget the very last presentation in this series - the one that takes us up to questions today - IN PERSON and ONLINE on Wednesday, December 6, 7-8:30pm. Register now for Race & Slavery at First Church in Roxbury, with Aabid Allibhai, the Rev. Mary Margaret Earl, and Byron Rushing.
Image: This 1743 depiction places Indigenous people in the foreground and Boston’s early 18th century harbor, buildings, and church steeples in the background. “Rendering of Boston and waterfront," Digital Commonwealth.
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