England’s Book of Shame: The Slave Bible

Lecturer
Dr. Sam Kocheri, Postdoctoral researcher, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University

Title
England’s Book of Shame: The Slave Bible

Abstract
The recent past has seen a growing interest in examining the cultural, economic, and social implications of colonialism and trans-Atlantic slavery. However, the lion’s share of focus has been on the personalities actively involved in forging nation-states, populist movements, the slave trade, and colonial expansion. Whilst individuals are a potent driving force in nation- building and populist movements, the tools they employ during that process also warrant the same consideration, especially the sacred scriptures, due to their significant influence on broader human transactions, especially since the 19th century witnessed a colossal enterprise focused on the transference of the Silent Missionary—the Bible—into British colonies and slave plantations. This research paper will endeavour to present the impact of scriptures and their quasi-agency within historical settings of the nineteenth century by sharing the research findings on the Slave Bible, a biblical artefact produced in London in 1807 for enslaved people in the West Indies. The paper will present the institutions and individuals involved in producing this particular version of the Bible and century’s belief in the almost talismanic properties of the material artefact Bible.

Information
The seminar will be held in English.

Please send an email to concurrences@lnu.se if you want to participate via Zoom.

Linnaeus University Centre for Concurrences in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies