Beyond Slavery

“This is a book for the many who are yet to take slavery (both past and present) seriously as a theological problem for Christian faith and witness. It is also a book for those who treat addressing human trafficking as an opportunity for evangelical messianism. . . . Gooding has given us the most theologically substantive treatment of human trafficking currently available. This book will quickly find its way into a wide variety of syllabi, and it will stay there for many years.”


—Willie James Jennings, Yale Divinity School





“Gooding’s work is a difficult read, not because of style or argument; it is beautifully written and compellingly argued. It is difficult because he draws attention to realities from which we would rather turn away. Without discounting the work of previous generations of abolitionists, Gooding reminds us that slavery is still with us. This work stands in the best of abolitionist Christianity and is a clarion call as to why we still need that tradition. It is a must-read.”


—D. Stephen Long, Southern Methodist University





“Through sensitive field research, Chris Gooding shows how modern-day slavery offers its own perverse theology—‘warped portraits’ of love, justice, and God. Advocates for today’s enslaved human beings need good theology to offer accounts of love, justice, and God that can help survivors make sense of life after liberation. Through Scripture, ethics, and restorative justice, good theology for life after liberation is exactly what Gooding has to offer.”


—Kate Ward, Marquette University