The Forging of Races: Race and Scripture in the Protestant Atlantic World, 1600–2000

The notion that there were separate creations posed too radical a challenge to Christian belief in original sin and redemption.

“Notwithstanding the survival of polygeny, the notion that there were separate creations posed too radical a challenge to Christian belief in original sin and redemption (Kidd 2006).”

Christian theology was the progenitor of the modern concept of race.

“For the fact that Christianity and modernity are inextricably linked, Kidd identifies Christian theology as the progenitor of the modern concept of race.”

La Peyrère's heresy was condemned and refuted, but his preadamite theory lived on until its flowering in the middle decades of the nineteenth century.

“Though La Peyrère's heresy was summarily condemned and vigorously refuted in the subsequent centuries, his preadamite theory would live on, being variously picked up by adherents until its flowering in the middle decades of the nineteenth century (Kidd 2006).”

Racial ideas that developed in the modern West, including on both sides of the Atlantic between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, were forged with reference to a Christian worldview and informed by the Bible, particularly the Old Testament book of Genesis.

“Racial ideas which developed in the modern west were forged with reference to a Christian worldview and informed by the Bible, particularly the Old Testament.”

The discovery of greater human diversity seemed to defy the tripartite racial taxonomy of Shemites, Hamites, and Japhites deduced from the Mosaic record.

“The discovery of greater and greater human diversity seemed to defy the tripartite racial taxonomy of Shemites, Hamites, and Japhites deduced from the Mosaic record (Kidd 2006;Livingstone 2010).”

By the nineteenth century, race, both as a popular and a scientific concept, had come to dominate European and American thought.

“By the nineteenth century, race, both as a popular and a scientific concept, had come to dominate European and American thought (Gould [1981(Gould [ ] 1996;;Kidd 2006).”

Monogenism was the established orthodoxy on human origins and was virtually unquestioned prior to the middle of the seventeenth century.

“This belief laid at the very foundation of Christian theology and was virtually unquestioned prior to the middle of the seventeenth century (Kidd 2006).”

Monogenism maintained that all mankind had descended from a single set of ancestors roughly four thousand years ago.

“Monogenism, the established orthodoxy on human origins, maintained that all mankind had descended from a single set of ancestors roughly four thousand years ago.”

In the middle decades of the nineteenth century, particularly among intellectuals of the American South committed to the defense of black enslavement, the sparse flames of polygenism became a conflagration.

“In the middle decades of nineteenth century, however, and particularly among intellectuals of the American South committed to the defense of black enslavement, the sparse flames of polygenism would become a conflagration (Livingstone 2008;Kidd 2006).”

The defense of human unity by monogenists was not born out of altruistic concern for the Negro; it was the greater interest to uphold scriptural authority that compelled monogenists to view humanity as a brotherhood.

“The defense of human unity by monogenists was not born out of altruistic concern for the Negro, however; it was the greater interest to uphold scriptural authority that compelled monogenists to view humanity as a brotherhood (Kidd 2006).”

Defenders of slavery used biblical accounts of slave regulations in the Pentateuch and New Testament examples.

“Defenders of the institution wielded biblical accounts of slave regulations found in the Pentateuch, and even drew upon New Testament examples for the same purpose (Kidd 2006).”

Black preadamites could appear as the cursed Cain and his progeny, the fallen Nephilim of Genesis 6, the nachash, or cursed Nimrod.

“Black preadamites could appear as the cursed Cain and his progeny, or the fallen, miscegenating Nephilim of Genesis 6; and even stranger yet, the nachash-the crafty serpent that engaged in miscegenetic sexual temptation with Eve (Kidd 2006;Livingstone 2008;Stokes 1998).The cursed Ham was now replaced by the cursed nachash, or the cursed Cain, or the Cursed Nephilim, or even cursed Nimrod-the exege”

In the medieval period, Ham was not primarily associated with skin color but stood as a symbol of idolatry and polytheism.

“Kidd (2006) shows that Ham was not primarily associated with skin color in the medieval period, but rather stood as a symbol of idolatry and polytheism (p.75).”