The Curse of Ham in the Early Modern Era

The Curse of Ham in the Early Modern Era
Author: David M. Whitford
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 365
Release: 2017-07-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 1351891820

For hundreds of years, the biblical story of the Curse of Ham was marshalled as a justification of serfdom, slavery and human bondage. According to the myth, having seen his father Noah naked, Ham's is cursed to have his descendants be forever slaves. In this new book the Curse of Ham is explored in its Reformation context, revealing how it became the cornerstone of the Christian defence of slavery and the slave trade for the next four hundred years. It shows how broader medieval interpretations of the story became marginalized in the early modern period as writers such as Annius of Viterbo and George Best began to weave the legend of Ham into their own books, expanding and adding to the legend in ways that established a firm connection between Ham, Africa, slavery and race. For although in the original biblical text Ham himself is not cursed and race is never mentioned, these writers helped develop the story of Ham into an ideological and theological defence for African slavery, at the precise time that the Transatlantic Slave Trade began to establish itself as a major part of the European economy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Skilfully weaving together elements of theology, literature and history, this book provides a fascinating insight into the ways that issues of religion, economics and race could collide in the Reformation world. It will prove essential reading, not only for those with an interest in early modern history, but for anyone wishing to try to comprehend the origins of arguments used to justify slavery and segregation right up to the 1960s.

Being with Jesus

Being with Jesus
Author: C. Matthew McMahon
Publisher: Puritan Publications
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2023-09-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1626634653

What does it truly mean to be "with" someone? Simple in concept, but when it comes to our spiritual connection "with Jesus," the idea expands into new and meaningful dimensions. This work, "Being with Jesus," investigates this intricate aspect of faith, exploring Scriptures across both the Old and New Testaments to shed light on what being in genuine fellowship with Christ entails. There is no halfway commitment here; being "with Jesus" is an all-in-or-nothing experience. In an unpredictable world, distancing oneself from Him, even slightly, can be dangerous—a lapse in faith that could have eternal consequences. But fear not. Within these pages, you will find both reassurance and inspiration. Learn how to truly rest in Jesus' love, to follow Him unreservedly, and to find joy and purpose along the way. Guided by the example of the apostles and the descriptions of them in Acts 4 where the Pharisees and Scribes are described, "they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus," this book will deepen your understanding of what it means to be "with Jesus." Join us as we clarify the sometimes blurry line between merely claiming to be with Christ and actually living that commitment fully. In an uncertain world, one thing is clear: being with Him is the Christian's true desire. So, come, dear reader. Open these pages to enrich your understanding, fortify your commitment, and feel the soul-satisfying impact of truly "Being with Jesus."

England’s Other Countrymen

England’s Other Countrymen
Author: Onyeka Nubia
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2019-06-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1786994232

The Tudor period remains a source of timeless fascination, with endless novels, TV programmes and films depicting the period in myriad ways. And yet our image of the Tudor era remains overwhelmingly white. This ground-breaking and provocative new book seeks to redress the balance: revealing not only how black presence in Tudor England was far greater than has previously been recognised, but that Tudor conceptions of race were far more complex than we have been led to believe. Onyeka Nubia's original research shows that Tudors from many walks of life regularly interacted with people of African descent, both at home and abroad, revealing a genuine pragmatism towards race and acceptance of difference. Nubia also rejects the influence of the 'Curse of Ham' myth on Tudor thinking, persuasively arguing that many of the ideas associated with modern racism are in fact relatively recent developments. England's Other Countrymen is a bravura and eloquent forgotten history of diversity and cultural exchange, and casts a new light on our own attitudes towards race.

Joseph's Resolve and the Unreasonableness of Sinning Against God

Joseph's Resolve and the Unreasonableness of Sinning Against God
Author: C. Matthew McMahon
Publisher: Puritan Publications
Total Pages: 447
Release: 2020-06-16
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1626633509

One of the greatest depictions of God’s providence in Scripture is the historical narrative of Joseph, who was sold into slavery, and worked under Potiphar, the chief steward of Pharaoh. Within the course of this narrative, while Joseph is in his house, Potiphar’s wife comes to him many times to lure him off to sin in one of the most bold and forthright temptations to be recorded anywhere in the Bible. She had longing, wandering eyes and comes to tempt him, assaulting him, “day by day,” constantly, and audaciously. Joseph’s reaction to this wicked assault is an instant refusal to the temptation. “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9). What biblical directives can be found in this amazing statement of holiness and godliness? From this one text McMahon meticulously explains how Joseph’s victory over temptation against Potiphar’s wife can be used by the believer today for their own victory to the glory of Jesus Christ. Christians need to be prepared to deal with temptation in a manner in which they will be victorious in the power of Christ’s Spirit. But they can only do this if they understand what Joseph understood in regards to God, temptation and the heinous nature of sin. He covers such topics as: the great evil of sin, the relationship between sin and God’s holiness, how to live faithfully before God’s omniscience and omnipresence, the nature and character of temptation, what it means to resist temptations, how holy fear aids the Christian in light of temptation, what the Spirit works in a Christian motioning them to holiness, how one can cultivate a sensitivity to the Spirit’s work, the inconsistency in sinning against God, how usefulness in God’s kingdom is linked to holiness, the power of Christ’s Gospel as the full remedy to temptation and sin, as well as a number of other important considerations. (He also includes a study on the “hedge of protection” that is mentioned in Job 1:10 as an appendix to the work.) This book faithfully explains and applies Genesis 39:9 demonstrating Joseph’s godly resolve and the unreasonableness of sinning against God. Here you will find what steps you can take, following devout Joseph, to keep yourself from falling into sin through the craftiness of temptation, that you may bring the most glory to Jesus Christ in your walk before God.

Pain, Pleasure and Perversity

Pain, Pleasure and Perversity
Author: John R. Yamamoto-Wilson
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2016-05-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 1317084373

Luther’s 95 Theses begin and end with the concept of suffering, and the question of why a benevolent God allows his creations to suffer remains one of the central issues of religious thought. In order to chart the processes by which religious discourse relating to pain and suffering became marginalized during the period from the Renaissance to the end of the seventeenth century, this book examines a number of works on the subject translated into English from (mainly) Spanish and Italian. Through such an investigation, it is possible to see how the translators and editors of such works demonstrate, in their prefaces and comments as well as in their fidelity or otherwise to the original text, an awareness that attitudes in England are different from those in Catholic countries. Furthermore, by comparing these translations with the discourse of native English writers of the period, a number of conclusions can be drawn regarding the ways in which Protestant England moved away from pre-Reformation attitudes of suffering and evolved separately from the Catholic culture which continued to hold sway in the south of Europe. The central conclusion is that once the theological justifications for undergoing, inflicting, or witnessing pain and suffering have been removed, discourses of pain largely cease to have a legitimate context and any kind of fascination with pain comes to seem perverse, if not perverted. The author observes an increasing sense of discomfort throughout the seventeenth century with texts which betray such fascination. Combining elements of theology, literature and history, this book provides a fascinating perspective on one of the key conundrums of early modern religious history.