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A Companion to Philemon
Foreword by Marion L. Soards
Series: Cascade Companions
Imprint: Cascade Books
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.
“Brogdon offers contemporary readers valid reasons to engage the Apostle Paul’s correspondence to a friend, fellow Christian, church leader and slave-owner. His interpretation wisely questions the traditional and popular ‘slave flight’ thesis—exegetically, historically, and culturally—and proposes an alternative paradigm. Even if I may quibble with some of Brogdon’s exegetical decisions, I highly recommend this short book on this brief letter to all interested in learning about the complexities of early Christianity, the origins of our hermeneutical decisions, and the challenges of contemporary faith. A Companion to Philemon is a worthwhile read for every person who reads the ancient Pauline letters in light of themes on human dignity.”
—Emerson B. Powery, Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, PA
“Lewis Brogdon’s reading of the Epistle to Philemon as a call for "inclusive koinonia" is highly readable, yet quite radical in its implications for the church. Brogdon shows how—for two millennia—we have read this letter in a way that uncritically rationalizes and sanctifies oppressive norms, institutions, and practices. His counterargument that Paul wrote the letter to subvert Philemon’s exclusion of Onesimus and other slaves from Christian fellowship makes better sense of the historical and exegetical evidence, and helps us to see the gospel that has for so long been hiding in plain sight!”
—Susan R. Garrett, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
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