What's the primary argument of your book?
Unlike earlier studies that focused on Paul’s work exhortations from the perspective of Paul himself and his apostolic calling, Work and Community in the Thessalonian Correspondence: An African Communal Reading of Work Exhortations, reads Paul’s exhortations from the way in which his audience heard Paul’s message. In this book I argue that Paul’s work exhortations are best read from a communal perspective given that these exhortations were written to a community to enhance community building. As such, Paul’s concern is not individual work ethic (as important that is); his concern has to do with building community and what each individual should do to enhance community.
What led you to study this subject?
I am concerned about how the gospel relates to normal life in the world and also how God is concerned about the other six days of the week. God is certainly interested in our lives beyond the two hours we meet on Sunday mornings for worship. All of our lives are to be lived in honour of him. Yet what we do as the people of God should have a communal dimension either in the actual work itself or the results of the work we do. I wanted to investigate what Paul has to say to the people God in their day to day life.
How does your book contribute to the field?
My book demonstrates that African biblical hermeneutics can be meaningfully used to read biblical texts to bring new insights that other methodologies might not be able to bring out. It contributes to New Testament studies the view that Paul’s work exhortations are aimed at community formation as opposed to earlier studies that focused on Paul and his apostolic calling.
What does it mean to you to be a scholar in the Wesleyan tradition?
To be a scholar in the Wesleyan tradition means one must be entirely committed to Scripture. As a Biblical scholar, Scripture is the object of my enquiry. Even though we read scripture in light of the best of Church tradition, reason, and experience, scripture remains primary. Biblical scholars in the Wesleyan tradition should find encouragement in the fact that Wesley himself took time to publish Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament. With all that’s been said about whether or not Wesley was a systematic theologian or a practical theologian, it is clear that Scripture took centre stage in his scholarly and ministerial vocation. In this sense Wesleyan scholars should be men and women of one book.
How do you see your scholarly work as part of your ministry?
Scholarly work is ministry. As a scholar I teach and research, the results of my teaching are men and women who are equipped to do ministry and the results of my research are ideas that are used by myself and colleagues in their teaching. Our scholarship should result in us being more faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must always keep Christ at the centre of our scholarship. We do not do scholarship for its own sake but for the glory and honour of the Lord. Scholarship should be done as unto the Lord. The implications are that we must do it prayerfully and faithfully.
What are some of the differences between writing a doctoral thesis and writing a scholarly monograph?
The difference between the two is primarily the audience. A doctoral thesis is written for the academy. The audience are those who have studied areas related to the area one is writing about. These people understand biblical languages and other languages one might use. A scholarly monograph is written for a broader audience which includes students, some of whom are still working on languages that might be used. As such, translations must be provided for texts in technical languages. The style of writing is dictated by the publisher, whereas for doctoral theses it is dictated by the discipline and the university.
Did you find new evidence or learn new information while rewriting?
That was not the case for me. The argument remained unchanged; the reviewers only had minor changes that had to do with style. There was no new research I needed to do. However, for some that is not the case. I have recently reviewed a thesis being considered for publication by a publisher and I recommended some changes. Some had do with the structure of the thesis itself and some ideas needed to be supported by more recent research.
What made NTC and Manchester ideal places to undertake your doctoral studies?
NTC provided a conducive environment for doing my doctoral studies. NTC has a number of well qualified lecturers who are masters of their areas. Its connection to the University of Manchester is a great blessing, as one graduates with a degree from prestigious university. The University of Manchester also provides very good academic resources, supplementing what NTC has. These resources are accessible around the world. The colloquiums that NTC conducts are a great blessing for honing one’s skills in research and writing. One has an opportunity to present their ideas to peers and lecturers and get helpful feedback. I recommend NTC unreservedly for all those who want a world-class education.
What are some other projects in progress or ones you're looking forward to post-publication?
I would like to write other monographs, popular books, and a commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. I am not yet certain about the areas of research I will be doing but it should be in the general area of early Christian communities and their attitudes towards work and money.
What advice do you have for recent doctoral graduates who want to publish their theses?
My advice would be that they contact publishers and get to know their requirements. It is also important to do it soon, as you want to revise your thesis closer to your submission than later. If you do it early it means the ideas are still fresh in your mind. When you get the feedback from reviewers ensure that you respond to all of them. This does not mean you change your thesis argument, as you can explain why you did what you did to the reviewers. This means that not everything the reviewers say must be done. If you have a good reason why you did what you did, explain that. Remember this is still your book rather than that of the reviewers.