IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL PRACTICE (IJRCP )

E-ISSN 2579-0501
P-ISSN 2695-219X
VOL. 10 NO. 1 2025
DOI: 10.56201/ijrcp.vol.10.no1.2025.pg11.26

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Religion, Slavery and African Diaspora: A Historical Analysis

Tuonimi Eze Oko- Jaja PhD, Tonye D Benibo PhD & Anoriochi Hazael Ogwunka PhD

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Abstract

This study examines the interplay between African traditional religion, Islam, and Christianity in shaping slavery and the African diaspora, highlighting a shift from humane master-slave relationships to dehumanization during medieval Christian Europe, culminating in the trans- Atlantic slave trade. Through historical texts, it observes that slavery predates Christianity and Islam, with universal prevalence and local variations before its abolition. Both religions initially set guidelines for master-slave relationships rather than opposing slavery outright, with Islam fostering relatively harmonious relationships with sub-Saharan African slaves from the 9th century AD, unlike medieval Christianity, which, from the 15th century AD, enabled exploitative practices and the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The study concludes that Islam’s humane attitudes curtailed the formation of an African diaspora within the Muslim world, while European Christians’ exploitative actions established the African diaspora in Europe and the Americas, perpetuating systemic racism against the Black race.

keywords:

Christianity, Africa, Slaves, Dehumanization and Islam

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