Once a Slave,Always a Slave? Slavery,Manumission and Relational Patterns in Paul's Letter To Philemon

Abstract

The Graeco-Roman world was a strongly collectivist, authoritarian and patriarchal society that understood people in terms of fixed stereotypes. As such, manumission per se would not have fundamentally changed the relationship between slaves and masters. Therefore, Paul's intention in his letter to Philemon was not to persuade Philemon to manumit Onesimus, but to bring about a fundamental change in their relationship, such that the master would treat his slave no longer as a slave, but as a brother or an honoured guest. As such, Paul was actually asking for something far more radical than manumission.