Church and slavery

The Church and Slavery project group of the Protestant Theological University hosted a webinar with Dr Frank Jabini and Dr Armando Lampe on the role of the church in the colonial past of Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean. In this first part, Dr Franklin Jabini speaks on "Spreading the Gospel among Africans in Suriname before 1828".

The Church and Slavery project group of the Protestant Theological University hosted a webinar with Dr Frank Jabini and Dr Armando Lampe on the role of the church in the colonial past of Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean. In this second part, Dr Armando Lampe speaks on "Mission is Submission? Looking back at the history of studying Moravian and Catholic missions in the Dutch Caribbean."

In 'Church, Colonialism and Slavery', Bente de Leede and Martijn Stoutjesdijk explore the relationship between Christianity and slavery through the centuries, using case studies from Dutch history. For a long time, slavery and colonialism received little attention in Dutch church history. This timely volume brings together specialists who examine case studies from across the Dutch colonial empire, revealing how church and colonialism both clashed and became deeply intertwined in various ways.

Edited by Bente de Leede and Martijn Stoutjesdijk, with contributions from Bianca Gallant Groen, Leon van den Broeke, Alexander van der Meer, Maurice San A Jong, Rose Mary Allen and Alma Louise de Bode-Olton, Geertje Mak, and Danny Noorlander.

Can the Bible help us understand slavery and its ongoing legacy?
That is the central question of the booklet Called to Be Free, featuring contributions from African, Antillean, Surinamese, and Dutch theologians. “Now that the abolition of slavery is being widely commemorated this year, the Bible Society wants to support Christians from all kinds of churches in reflecting on this topic and engaging in conversation together.”

Bible stories and contemporary voices
Called to Be Free: Bible Studies on Slavery and Freedom explores biblical stories about slavery and liberation. These stories are explained and interpreted, with dedicated material for children and reflection and discussion questions for individual or group use. Theologians from diverse church traditions and cultural backgrounds contributed to this publication, including Ghanaian pastor Seth Adzokatse, Bishop Renold Pansa of the Moravian Church in Suriname, SKIN chair and Moravian pastor Rhoïnde Mijnals-Doth, Antillean Bible translator Marlon Winedt, and Martijn Stoutjesdijk, researcher at the Protestant Theological University. The booklet also includes an interview with Surinamese writer and activist Ritania Wirth, reflecting on how the legacy of slavery continues to shape the present.

The booklet can be ordered from the Dutch-Flemish Bible Society for €1 per copy, plus shipping costs.

The history of slavery and racism—deeply intertwined—continues to be a widely discussed topic around the world. Sadly, theological voices on this subject remain scarce in the Netherlands. Yet theology could play a meaningful role in addressing and processing the legacy of slavery within the Church—particularly since slavery was once justified with the Bible in hand.

The painful reality that, for many, being Black and Christian has posed a deep dilemma stems from this theological past. Other pressing questions demand further reflection: What historical and/or contemporary church structures continue to reinforce the separation between white and Black Christians? How does our way of doing theology contribute to maintaining a white theological perspective? And how might it be done differently?

These issues are explored in depth in a new special issue of the journal 'Handelingen'.

In addition to the launch of the research project by PThU, VU, and the University of Curaçao, 2023 is also a year in which the Dutch government and many organisations are paying significant attention to the abolition of slavery in 1863. Churches, too, are developing various initiatives to reflect on the history of slavery and to work towards a shared future.

Would you like to reflect on the Church’s role in the history of slavery with your local congregation, but feel you don’t yet know enough about the topic? We’d be happy to refer you to the introductory brochure developed by the research project at the request of several churches. If you have any questions, suggestions, or would like to invite a member of the research team to your church, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.