Beyond Belief

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Series exploring the place and nature of faith in today's world

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Beyond Belief: Atoning for Slavery

29/08/2022

Atoning for Slavery

BBC Radio 4 - Beyond Belief, Atoning for Slavery

Ernie Rea asks if there's a Christian duty to make reparations for the horrors of slavery.

Ernie Rea asks if there is a Christian duty to make reparations for the horrors and legacy of slavery.

Anglican Bishops are starting to consider what 'redemptive action' for the horrors of slavery could look like. The history of the transatlantic slave trade casts a long shadow. Over three million black Africans were transported in British ships to a life of slavery. The legacy of a practice that spanned three centuries has been keenly felt in recent years, from the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, to the toppling of statues of slave traders. 

Calls appear to be getting louder for institutions, corporations and individuals to offer redress. The historic links of Christianity with slavery have been examined and some feel there is a debt to be paid. What might that look like? What responsibility do the heirs of the oppressor have to the heirs of the oppressed? 

Ernie is joined by theologian and broadcaster Professor Robert Beckford, legal specialist on reparations Esther Stanford-Xosei, and Professor Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford.

Plus he hears from the Virginia Theological Seminary in the US who have started paying reparation to the descendants of those it says laboured on it's campus under slavery or segregation. 

Producer: Rebecca Maxted
Assistant Producers: Josie Le Vey and Peter Everett
Editor: Dan Tierney

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