Slaves of God

“Finalist for the American Academy of Religion Book Award, Best First Book in History of Religions”“Game-changing… . [Slaves of God] should occasion a reckoning.”—James K. A. Smith, The Christian Century“Slaves of God is a stimulating read about the role of slavery for Augustine… . Toni Alimi contributes to a much more nuanced understanding of the mind of the most important Western church father. Greek and Roman slavery, its persistence and especially its role in the history of ideas in Late Antiquity has not been sufficiently studied—Slaves of God is therefore an important, a necessary book.”—Michael Hahn, Bryn Mawr Classical Review“An expansive and engaging analysis of what Augustine thought about slavery and—of equal interest—how he thought with slavery.”—James Robert Burns, Journal of Medieval History“This volume lies somewhere between the philosophy of the human relationship to the divine and the history of Roman religious philosophy. Alimi’s scholarly command of Augustine’s thought illuminates both strands of thought, rightly leaving intact the mystery of how one can befree in service to God.” * Choice *“Toni Alimi’s superb engagement with, and historically contextualized treatment of, Augustine on slavery in Slaves of God illuminates the long and pernicious influence of Augustine’s convictions on universal and eternal slavery.”—Emily S. Pruszinski, Reviews in Religion & Theology“A bold and provocative book… . Alimi’s discussion is impressively well structured and consistently judicious; the claim that slavery is a central axis of Augustine’s reflection has been conclusively proven.” * Greece & Rome *

Toni Alimi is assistant professor in the Department of Religion and University Center for Human Values at Princeton University.