In this episode, Mark had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Gay Byron about Christianity in Ethiopia and its deep roots on the African continent. Dr. Byron explained that Ethiopia has a unique history with Christianity, being one of the first nations in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion in the 4th century. Overall, this was a fascinating conversation that shed light on the deep roots of Christianity in Ethiopia and Africa, as well as the ongoing importance of Christianity in contemporary African society.

Gay L. Byron is a Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, DC. Her scholarship focuses on the origins of Christianity in ancient Ethiopia, cultural and womanist readings of Scripture, and race and ethnicity in early Christian writings. She is the author of Symbolic Blackness and Ethnic Difference in Early Christian Literature, co-editor (with Vanessa Lovelace) of Womanist Interpretations of the Bible: Expanding the Discourse, and most recently co-editor (with Hugh R. Page Jr.) of Black Scholars Matter: Visions, Struggles, and Hopes in Africana Biblical Studies. Her current book project focuses on Ethiopian manuscripts and early Christianity.  Dr. Byron is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and has preached and led workshops for a variety of denominations and local churches. 

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