id	author	title	date	pages	extension	mime	words	sentence	flesch	summary	cache	txt
concept-2084	none	The δοῦλος of Pauline Literature: Slavery and Freedom in the New Testament Epistles*	2016	17	.pdf	application/pdf	7737	281	52	Slaveholders encouraged education and could place slaves in high governmental positions; furthermore, slaves could own property, could participate in religious and cultural traditions like a freeborn, were not prohibited from public assembly, and could anticipate freedom after the age of 30.11 Slaves were not in their own social class, but often reflected that of their masters.12 The prospect of manumission was true and legitimate for most slaves who could survive until such an age, ensuring motivation for hard work and self-discipline. Furthermore, slavery was brutal since “Slaves were estranged from their family and ethnic backgrounds… undergoing a death experience on a social level,” due to the familial nature of ancient culture.15 Further scholars in the tradition of Patterson, including Bradley, assert that slavery was not palatable in any way, but the likely possibility of freedom and familial life ensured its survival.16 Glancy reasons that total subjection to the master included sexual exploitation, thus denying slaves even a modicum of their natural autonomy.17 One redeeming attribute discovered by Brown reminds scholars that, since slavery was an aspect of business, masters had reasons to protect slaves as an investment, just as slaves had reason to promote their master.18 Though the intention behind this reality is less than charitable, the fact remains that slaves were able to benefit from their master’s pragmatic 10 Ibid., 119.	cache/concept-2084.pdf	txt/concept-2084.txt