Classical Wisdom Speaks Slave of God: Should We Rethink St. Augustine?
Feb 26, 2026
Tony Alimi, assistant professor at Cornell and author of Slaves of God, explores Augustine’s life and lasting influence. He traces Augustine’s complex views on slavery, how Roman thinkers shaped his ideas, and how those ideas were later used to justify colonial slavery. The conversation probes how to disentangle Augustine’s philosophical contributions from the troubling parts of his legacy.
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Augustine's Threefold Concept Of Slavery
- Augustine treats three senses of slavery: slavery to God, slavery to sin, and slavery to other humans.
- He argues humans are created slaves of God, fell into slavery to sin, and earthly masters can serve to restore slaves to God through discipline.
Chattel Slavery Framed As Spiritual Discipline
- Augustine defends chattel slavery as a divinely permissible punishment that can be spiritually beneficial.
- He likens masters to fathers who owe slaves Christian education and eternal goods, so slavery can be a site for spiritual liberation.
A Gap In Augustine's Account Of Spiritual Benefit
- Augustine didn't explain how masters would reliably promote slaves' spiritual welfare, leaving room for abuse.
- Tony proposes Augustine might have thought slavery's hardships push slaves toward divine grace, but admits this is speculative.
