Reading Philemon with Southern African Eyes

ABOUT

READING PHILEMON WITH SOUTHERN AFRICAN EYES:

Philemon is not just a letter about a first-century master and slave but a window into what applied theology looks like in a Pauline community. In this seminar we will unpack the construction and intention behind this letter, as well as its history of interpretation. We will examine the gospel’s influence on slave-master relationships in the first century and how these findings might be appropriated for a gospel motivated transformation of social orders. In particular, we will explore how we may apply Philemon to the relationships between Christian employers and Christian domestic workers.

Date: Thursday 16 July

Time: 19:00 - 20:30

Format: This Zoom seminar will take the form of a discussion/interview between Dr Batanayi Manyika (South African Theological Seminary) and John Scheepers (Director, Isiphambano Centre for Biblical Justice) followed by a time of Q & A.

Cost: R 50 (suggested donation). There are also free tickets available for those for whom finances are a struggle.

PLEASE NOTE: Upon registration participants will be sent an email with the Zoom meeting invite and password. Including user guidelines for those who have never used the Zoom platform before.

Dr Batanayi I. Manyika is the Coordinator of Faculty Research and Publishing at the South African Theological Seminary (SATS). He holds theological degrees from the University of Wales, Stellenbosch University, and a PhD in New Testament from SATS. For his doctoral research he focused on Paul’s letter to Philemon where he investigated the gospel’s influence on master-slave relationships in the first century. He appropriated his findings in the relationships between Christian employers and Christian domestic workers in contemporary Southern Africa, advocating a gospel motivated transformation of social orders. Bat has been involved in church leadership in the UK, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. He is married to Vanesha and they live in the north of France.