Jesus’ emphasis on the intrinsic value of every person was revolutionary during a time when slavery prevailed. No poet, playwright, or philosopher before Jesus advocated for the freedom of captives or slaves in the same manner as he does in Luke 4:18:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free.” (NRSCE)
Pre-Christian literature or philosophical works before Jesus lacked explicit advocacies for the freedom of captives or slaves akin to Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels. Ancient philosophers like Plato and Aristotle had complex views on slavery, rooted in their societal norms.
Plato didn’t address slavery directly but proposed a class-based society. Aristotle, in “Politics” and “Nicomachean Ethics,” defended slavery as a natural institution based on some individuals being fit for slavery due to inferior intellect or physical characteristics. Neither explicitly advocated for freeing slaves.
Euripides presented to the ancient Greeks a harrowing portrait of the anguish and suffering of the female royal survivors of Troy as they grapple with the horrors of war and their imminent enslavement. He delves into the emotional turmoil and despair experienced by the women as they confront their fate as captives, emphasizing the human cost and tragedy of war. While the play gives a vivid portrayal of the aftermath of conflict and the enslavement of the Trojan women, it does not explicitly advocate for the abolition of slavery.
The Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, influenced ethical thought significantly. Jesus’ teachings centred on love, compassion, and valuing every human being regardless of social status. His actions challenged societal norms and advocated for equality and justice, especially for marginalized groups.
Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness, spiritual liberation, and ethical behaviour remain unparalleled. His legacy on human dignity, equality, and justice has influenced thinkers from Rousseau to Gandhi, guiding ethical compasses through principles like the Golden Rule or Kant’s categorical imperative: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, and teachings on love, mercy, and non-violence.
One of Jesu’s main contributions to Political Theology has been the precept of no-violence before violence. Preaching the divinity of each human being (“God is not the God of the dead but of the living”), he faced martyrdom and death with an uncontestably belief in resurrection and the immortality of the soul. His syllogism defeats all ancestral fears to death:
God made his children immortal at his image and likeness
I’m a son of God
Therefore, I’m immortal
To which he adds a second syllogism:
As an immortal being I love the world
I share the world with my brothers and sisters
Therefore, I love my brother as myself
Questioned by Pilate, Jesus declares that the power he has received has been given by God, a statement that validates both Pilate’s power and the Roman Empire. Caiaphas and Annas are also endorsed in their position. Swedenborg explains in his visions of hell that the most violent and wicked nations receive the most perverse demons as rulers.
Such philosophy brought the early Christians to face death with contempt. According to The Acts of Saint Paul, days after the apostle was beheaded, Saint Pedro and Sain Paul were seen on the streets of Rome, talking to several Christians. Nero was duly informed by his spies; his resurrection horrified him so much that he immediately stopped persecuting Christians and blaming them for burning Rome.
Hugo Noël Santander Ferreira 