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by Lewis Brogdon (Author), Marion L. Soards (Foreword by)
When is the last time you heard a sermon, Bible study, or even read the Letter to Philemon? For some the answer is "recently" but for too many the answer is "it has been a long time" or worse yet "never." Why is it that Philemon, though included in the Christian canon, is not read and studied as a text with theological depth that is helpful for serious study and preaching? In A Companion to Philemon, Lewis Brogdon insists that a part of the reason is the interpretation that Paul is sending a thieving runaway slave back to his good master. This interpretation is not only problematic, it is also theologically limiting and offers the church very little to reflect on as we face mammoth issues of inclusion and fellowship such as racism, sexism, and classism. A Companion to Philemon challenges the church to reimagine the interpretation of Philemon by focusing on the role exclusion had in the events that led to his departure from Philemon. Using the issue of exclusion, Brogdon takes the interpretation of Philemon in new directions that not only invite the church to read Philemon but also challenge us to examine both our understanding and practice of Christian fellowship today.
Author Biography
Dr. Lewis Brogdon currently works at Simmons College of Kentucky, a growing HBCU in Louisville, as the new Provost and Dean of the School of Religion. He formerly worked at Claflin University, an HBCU in Orangeburg South Carolina, as an Assistant Professor of Religion and Biblical Studies, and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary as an Assistant Professor of New Testament and Director of the Black Church Studies.
Dr. Brogdon has written numerous books such as No Longer a Slave But a Brother: An African American Reading of Paul's Letter to Philemon (2013), Hope on the Brink: Understanding the Emergence of Nihilism in Black America (2013), The New Pentecostal Message? An Introduction to the Prosperity Movement (2015), and Dying to Lead: The Disturbing Trend of Clergy Suicide (2014), as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters. He is a sought out preacher, public speaker, and panelist that receives invitations to the White House, is a regular guest on Black Politics Today, and presents workshops at major conferences like the Hampton Ministers Conference at Hampton University and the Global 21 Congress in Jerusalem.
