First-Century Slavery and the Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 7

In Bartchy's Harvard dissertation, a thorough investigation into the character of slavery in first-century Greece serves as the basis for a rethinking of Paul's advice to slaves in 1 Corinthians 7:21. Such a rethinking also sheds light on Paul's more general concern that the Corinthian Christians find their identity in their calling as followers of Jesus rather than in their circumstances of race, gender, or socio-political status.