Work

The Creation of Adam and the Biblical Origins of Race in The Slave’s Friend (1836–1838)

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: The creation of Adam out of dust is a familiar tradition from the Book of Genesis. In abolitionist literature of the nineteenth century, this biblical narrative became the basis for a theory about the origins of race, arguing that because Adam was formed from red clay, neither he nor his descendants were white. This interpretation of Genesis underscored the value of non-white ancestors both in the biblical narrative and in human history and undermined popular theological arguments that upheld color-based racial hierarchies that privileged whiteness in the United States. This article examines the creation of Adam in Genesis 2 and its use in racial theory and abolitionist rhetoric, focusing on the children’s anti-slavery periodical The Slave’s Friend, published from 1836 to 1838.

Source: Religions

DOI: 10.3390/rel12100860

Author: Kerry M. Sonia

Institution: Colby College

Language: English

Topic: Theological Perspectives and Practices

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,296

Funder: Colby College