Husband, Wife, Father, Child, Master, Slave: Peter Through Roman Eyes - Paperback

by Kurt C. Schaefer (Author)

When the New Testament speaks of slaves and masters, is it affirming an institution that we find reprehensible? Biblical scholars across the theological and political spectrum generally conclude that the answer is "yes." And in the same passages the Bible seems to affirm male dominance in marriage, if not in society at large. This book meticulously places these passages, the Bible's "household codes," in their historical and literary context, focusing on 1 Peter's extensive code. A careful side-by-side reading with Rome's cultural equivalent (Aristotle's household code) reveals both the brilliance of the biblical author and the depth of 1 Peter's antipathy toward slavery and misogyny.

Author Biography

I was born in 1958 in Peoria, Illinois, to a German-Lutheran family in Richard Pryor's neighborhood. My education (large urban high school to University of Michigan) was strong on the liberal arts, and led to a PhD in econometrics and the history of economic thought. I have taught mainly in New York and Michigan, but also in London, Budapest, and Oslo. After teaching for several decades, I completed a Master of Divinity degree (think of Fred Rogers or Desmond Tutu).



Most of my writing has been for scholarly journals, doing economic analysis of international trade or gender-pay differentials or poverty policy or economic thought in classical civilizations. I've directed a social research center and led an internship/seminar program on nonprofit leadership for liberal arts students. I do quite a bit of speaking at college chapel services and other church-related venues, and I am the parish accordionist (!) in my religious congregation. I definitely have the best spouse and children in the universe. As time allows, I also enjoy sailing, walking, and cooking.