Langham Scholar Sofanit Abebe, from Ethiopia, is currently studying for a PhD at Edinburgh University. In October last year, she spent three weeks at Tyndale House in Cambridge, making use of Langham’s permanent study room there.
Langham Scholar Sofanit Abebe.
During her stay, Sofanit focussed on writing and researching for a new chapter in her dissertation. She is looking at a biblical theology of creation and suffering in Romans 8. Sofanit hopes to counter the spread of the “prosperity gospel” and address the mounting environmental crisis in Africa.
After graduation, she will teach at the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology, in Addis Ababa. Sofanit is married to Paulos and they have two children: Salem (4) and Zoe (3).
Fruitful time
She had a very successful and fruitful time at Tyndale House: “I have been able to identify a gap in scholarly discussions of my topic and have been able to draft an outline for the chapter.”
Sofanit particularly appreciated the time and space to focus on her studies: “I strictly followed a schedule that fit around the Tyndale House community. I started work at my desk at 8 am every day, and finishing my days at around 9:30 pm.
“The time away from family responsibility and the care of two young kids meant that I had twice the amount of time in a day than I would normally have in Edinburgh.”
‘Such a blessing’
Tyndale House library is one of the world’s finest collections for biblical research.
She added: “The availability of resources (mostly Tyndale House library but also University of Cambridge’s main library) was also a very important aspect of my stay at Tyndale House.
“Having a room there is such a blessing for Langham Scholars who come with a specific time limit and a set goal to achieve.”
Sofanit thoroughly recommends that other Langham Scholars stay at Tyndale House.
“The change in environment, renowned scholars that visit and the community there all work together to inspire and motivate Scholars. We are by necessity on a very isolating and overwhelming path to a PhD.”
Find out how you can support the Tyndale House Study Room project.
