The Slave Bible.

[sky]

Does anyone know who authorised the Slave Bible please ? I know who published it and for what reason (to convert) it was given to Slaves by Missionaries but that is all the info: I can find.

[Maisy]

The book was published by a collective group of missionaries from the Church Of England called The Incorporated Society for the Conversion and Religious Instruction and Education of Slaves in the British West India Islands; Englishman Beilby Porteus was the president of this society. Beilby Porteus was a Church of England reformer and a leading abolitionist fighting to end slavery.

[Molearner]

An interesting paradox of sort. A ‘Bible’ for a ‘captive’ audience to help lead them to freedom.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Molearner

An interesting paradox of sort. A ‘Bible’ for a ‘captive’ audience to help lead them to freedom.

Or keep them them in 'bondage' as the Verses in their Bible were carefully chosen to discourage any form of rebellion against their Masters. I'm wondering who decided which Verses were appropriate...
Who authorised it is It as mystery, very little info: is available.

[Molearner]

Originally Posted by sky

Or keep them them in 'bondage' as the Verses in their Bible were carefully chosen to discourage any form of rebellion against their Masters. I'm wondering who decided which Verses were appropriate...
Who authorised it is It as mystery, very little info: is available.

Sky,

Just very confusing. Do you have a copy ? How can an abolitionist be behind this deception ?

[sky]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Sky,
Just very confusing. Do you have a copy ? How can an abolitionist be behind this deception ?

That's why I started looking into it. Bishop Porteus doesn't seem to be very Christian. I'm trying to find out who authorised it and chose the Verses, it seems to be well hidden or I'm looking in the wrong places mybe. I came across Him while doing some Family History, some of my Ancestors unfortunately were Slave Traders and His Fathers name (Robert) came up... I do have a PDF Copy but haven't read all of it yet....

[Molearner]

Originally Posted by sky

I came across Him while doing some Family History, some of my Ancestors unfortunately were Slave Traders and His Fathers name (Robert) came up... I do have a PDF Copy but haven't read all of it yet....

Sky,

A small world. The same holds true with my ancestors from London. Yikes ! I might be talking to my cousin……hahaha…….

[sky]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Sky,

A small world. The same holds true with my ancestors from London. Yikes ! I might be talking to my cousin……hahaha…….

I have three separate Familys ( Gr, Grt....... Grandfathers ) who were Slave Traders unfortunately, one would have been enough. I can walk around my City and see Streets and Buildings owned and named after them, it makes me sick but there's no getting away from it.

[Maisy]

Originally Posted by Molearner

How can an abolitionist be behind this deception ?

The context and History is a lot more complicated than that. Many factors and interests are involved. It took 26 years of many making huge efforts for slavery to be abolished in the West Indies. There was a lot of violence as well as a lot of peaceful non-violent and societal and political and clergy efforts. Beilby Porteus, Bishop of Chester and of London, was a Church of England reformer and a leading abolitionist in England who had a lot of opposition. He is famous for his speech where he fought and argued in moral outrage at how slaves were being treated. Don't forget also he lived in England, not the West Indies, and relied on others for information on what was going on there. This of course was long before communication over long distances could happen easily or quickly.

I would guess he became involved in the book (We don't know how involved he actually was because we don't know how much he knew about the book or was involved in it. All we know is he was appointed the president of the group that published it at some point.) But we do know they say it was written due to fears of another uprising and rebellion where many lives would be lost in the violence like what happened in the 1733 slave insurrection on St. John in the Danish West Indies where many were killed in the violence. Almost all the soldiers were killed at the fort in Coral Bay as well as some plantation overseers who did not manage to escape to St. Thomas by boat. Several hundred French and Swiss troops were brought in to fight. The book was said to be produced in England for use in the British West Indies over fears of another uprising.

The motivation to create the book by that group could have been simply to stop another huge loss of life while that group was fighting to end slavery using peaceful political means.

[sky]

I wonder how many of the unfortunate Slaves could actually read the so called Bible...