The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9–13
A Socio-rhetorical Analysis of Identity Politics of the Matthean Community
Imprint: Pickwick Publications
In this book, a socio-rhetorical analysis blending literary with social sciences approaches provides the exegetical leverage to explore Matthew's use of the Lord's Prayer in shaping the identity of his community in the antiquity. The book lays down a foundation for drawing insights from the Lord's Prayer concerning Christian norms, values, and traditions that are pertinent to pastors, students, researchers, and lecturers who are interested in exploring matters of identity in their communities, institutions, and society at large.
F. Manjewa M’bwangi is an ordained Anglican Priest (Diocese of Mombasa), a lecturer (Pwani University, Kenya), and researcher (University of Pretoria, South Africa). He has published a number of articles in double blind peer-reviewed journals: “Paul and identity construction in early Christianity and the Roman Empire” (2020), “Covid-19 and Eucharistic fellowship in Matthew 26.26–28” (2020), and “Salvation in Matthew 5:17–20 and its Implications in the Church” (2020).
“M’bwangi goes beyond current scholarly discussions concerning the meaning and function of the Lord’s Prayer within the nascent diasporic Jesus movement by locating the prayer as an identity-formation emblem that contested existing Greco-Roman hegemony . . . . This important book gives further insight concerning the sociology and identity formation of the Jesus movement in diaspora.”
—Zorodzai Dube, University of Pretoria
“This book offers a fresh look at a prayer that for too long has been read predominantly through the lenses of ‘religion’ or ‘faith.’ . . . M’bwangi’s reading of the Lord’s Prayer offers a lens to read Matt 6:9–13 as a call to a new identity within a specific socioeconomic and political context. In this identity, kingdom and righteousness go hand in hand.”
—Ernest van Eck, University of Pretoria
“This book fills a unique gap on just how Mathew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer contextually fits into the larger sociopolitical framework of his society. . . . It is a must-read for church leaders and theologians involved with societal-conflict mitigation.”
—Stephen Muoki Joshua, Pwani University
“The difficulty of forming a new multiethnic community identity emerging from, but not identical with, the Jewish world and in the midst of a sometimes-hostile Roman Empire was a complex and daunting task. M’bwangi’s study throws light on how the Lord’s Prayer aided in that community formation. This is a stimulating contribution to the field of New Testament studies.”
—Grant LeMarquand, Trinity School for Ministry
“This book is well researched and written with the academic rigor that it deserves. . . . M’bwangi offers a review of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew that is not merely informative but also liberating.”
—Esther Mombo, St. Paul’s University