Alex Hon Ho Ip Libri

The Letter to Philemon, written by Paul, is a poignant appeal for compassion, urging Philemon to view his slave Onesimus as a brother in Christ. This book enhances understanding of the letter's theological and practical significance by creatively linking each chapter to scenes from Les Miserables, which illustrate key themes. The author interprets the text alongside relevant Pauline writings, concluding each chapter with an imaginative story that contextualizes the historical background and rhetoric, enriching the reader's comprehension of this underappreciated letter.

In this study, Alex Hon Ho Ip argues that when Paul wrote to Philemon about Onesimus, his main purpose was not to try and reunite, as is widely held, a runaway slave with his master, but rather to have Onesimus accepted as a beloved brother in Christ. By examining the letter's inner texture, the author shows that Paul's main concern was for Philemon and Onesimus to be reconciled in brotherly love. The inter-textual weave reveals Paul's theological and ethical thoughts on love, which is the basis for the apostle's main argument. By taking a new institutional economics approach to help reconstruct the economic relationship between slave and master, Alex Hon Ho Ip is able to offer a better understanding of the original relationship Paul argued against. With all this in mind, the focus is on re-reading the letter and hearing how Paul's rhetoric exhorts a new relationship between Onesimus and Philemon.