Heathen Slaves and Christian Rulers

The authors expose the growth of brothel and domestic slavery in Asian ports and blame Western officials and expatriate men for facilitating these abuses while dismissing them as unavoidable. They argue that political Christianity is judged by the conduct of its representatives, that class privilege protects some women while working-class and foreign women are commodified, and that opportunity rather than climate explains the moral collapse. Drawing on government records and on-the-ground observation, they call on American and Christian readers to acknowledge responsibility and to push for legal and social reforms to rescue vulnerable women and prevent further exploitation.