Images of Slavery in the early Church: Hatred Disguised as Love?

Keith Bradley points out that, in many ways, Christianity was a revolutionary religious development. Its members acquired spiritual fulfillment as well as salvation and eternal life. And all were welcomed. Bradley describes in some detail the social reform that the Church prompted. In fact, he states that the Church at Rome supported more than 1500 widows and beggars by the middle of the third century, successfully blending belief and social action. But those in positions of authority never fully accepted that slaves were equals, either socially or religiously, and therefore worthy of love, and for some reason, Christianity brought about little or no change for slaves. 2 And, in place of the love that Christianity advocated, oftentimes the writings of the early fathers of the Church contain words of disdain or even hatred.