Luke-Acts: Good News for slaves

The ongoing reality of slavery in our world provides the impetus and context for looking at Lukan slaves with fresh eyes. Two prominent features of the Gospel of Luke are the proclamation of good news to the poor by the Lukan Jesus and the frequent appearance of slaves in both the gospel’s narrative and teaching. Whether slaves are included in the poor who receive and benefit from the good news, however, is questionable. This study addresses this question through an exploration of the characterisations and circumstances of slaves as depicted in Luke-Acts.