When religious leaders such as James Thornwell and Albert Barnes wrote about slavery what did they base their views on?

Religious leaders like James Thornwell and Albert Barnes based their views on slavery on different interpretations of scripture, cultural norms of the time, and personal beliefs about social order and morality. Thornwell, for example, argued that slavery was justified and even beneficial, while Barnes took a more abolitionist stance, believing that slavery was incompatible with Christian values. Their perspectives were shaped by their understanding of theology and the societal contexts in which they lived.