Israel Kamudzandu - Abraham Our Father. Paul and the Ancestors in Postcolonial Africa

I would like to thank the following people who assisted and took part in the production process of this book.

First and foremost, I want to thank my colleague, mentor, and friend Professor Harold Washington, who encouraged me to continue doing research on postcolonial readings of the Bible, especially Pauline literature. His comments during our conversations greatly motivated me and set me on an adventure that resulted in this book.

Second, my former New Testament professors and colleagues who first read my dissertation and commented that I have at least five other books to be birthed from that dissertation: David Balch, Carolyn Osiek, Vincent Wimbush, Robert Jewett, Larry Wellborn, Thomas Dozeman, Dale Martin, Musa Dube, and Leo Perdue.

I especially thank Professor Balch, who constantly sends me new resources to read and use for this book, for his dedication to my growth in research and New Testament academic writing. He is indeed a great supporter, and I trust that my work holds up in his perspective. Larry Welborn, a former New Testament professor and now a colleague, has taught me much about Paul and continues to do so in generous ways. I have consulted with him many times over both phone and email. Although we have sometimes disagreed on postcolonial readings and interpretations of Paul, he has assisted me in strengthening and clarifying my arguments so as to be understood by a wider audience.

I would like to thank the Saint Paul School of Theology for granting me a sabbatical in the summer of 2011, which I used to do more research in Africa. It was a well-received sabbatical, and I will continually appreciate and treasure my work for this seminary, my colleagues, and my friends. I deeply thank the library staff at Saint Paul School of Theology for their careful assistance in getting interlibrary resources on time and for allowing me to extend the borrowing time. They are terrific people, and I look forward to their continued assistance.

Much appreciation is extended to acquisitions editor Neil Elliott, who met with me to discuss this project late one evening in a restaurant in New Orleans during an annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. His comments and critique of the manuscript were in many ways challenging, but informative. Without his advice, support, and encouragement, this book would not have come to this final stage. I treasure his willingness to let me write as a postcolonial African Christian.

I thank my copyeditor and proofreader Mrs. Ruth Ann Wood for her diligence in reading and raising questions on each chapter. She is indeed an amazing theological copyeditor. I have benefited tremendously from her theological analysis, knowledge, and insight into Paul and the ancestry of Abraham.

Finally, I thank my wife, Rutendo Patricia, and my three daughters for their support when I was writing this book. I will be remiss if I do not mention my parents, who went to be with the Lord many years ago and now are my ancestors, whose voices continue to inspire me on this journey of life. May their souls rest in peace, and may their ancestral, prayerful voices be present in my life. This book is indeed a tribute to my family.