Interview with Mr. Benjamin Manig—Winner of the Religions Travel Award
1. Congratulations on winning the Religions Travel Award! Can you tell us about your current research interests? What motivated you to pursue this area of study?
My doctoral thesis addresses a topic within the field of biblical exegesis in the sixteenth century. This area brings together two disciplines that greatly fascinate me: New Testament Studies and Church History. The interdisciplinary focus on reception history is recognized and valued in both fields.
The early modern period was a time of profound institutional and political disruption. The Catholic Church, which had long been the only Western church, was challenged by the emergence of Protestant state churches. In the context of these developments, religious identities needed to be redefined: through processes of demarcation from one another, diverse confessional traditions took shape.
These developments unfolded through various discourses at different institutional levels and in different locations. Exegesis represents one such discourse. Within this context, the biblical text occupies a central position, yet it is interpreted and commented upon from a variety of perspectives. What particularly interests me is the diversity of the interpretations and the techniques employed to interpret the texts. In many cases, one can observe a genuine wrestling with the biblical text. The resulting interpretations often do not simply follow confessional lines. Thus, when theological tractates no longer allowed for meaningful discussion, the Bible—sharing as a common reference point—could still establish a space in which scholars read and commented on each other’s work. The common reference to the biblical text guided their discussions and left room for ambiguities.
My research focuses especially on the reception of the letter to the Romans. Nearly one hundred commentaries on this major Pauline work were published during the sixteenth century. Without a doubt, Romans—where the doctrine of justification, natural theology, and predestination were discussed—was the central exegetical battleground of the early modern period. My thesis examines the more practical chapters 12–15, the so-called paraenesis, in order to evaluate the claim often made in contemporary scholarship that Reformation-era exegetes treated Romans 12–15 merely as an appendix to the letter. As I aim to demonstrate, sixteenth-century exegetes did in fact integrate the paraenesis into their interpretation of the letter as a whole. They were well aware both of the historical circumstances of the letter and of its significance for shaping the life of the church.
My motivation for pursuing this area of study lies in an interest in the history of culturally influential texts. The Bible remains a highly debated text, and, as we can observe in several countries today, it is still used to justify forms of governance and practical life. At the same time, early modern interpretative developments continue to shape important aspects of modern society.
2. Attending international conferences is an essential part of scientific collaboration and growth. How do you plan to promote the journal at the conference? What is the significance of attending such conferences in expanding your international cooperation or enhancing your academic influence?
My paper will be given in a panel with colleagues from Zurich and Geneva who are part of an SNSF project targeting the broader topic of “16th-Century Exegesis of Paul”. I will be happy to mention the award at the beginning of my paper and to display the journal’s logo in my presentation.
The Reformation Studies Colloquium offers an excellent opportunity to present my research in an international context. Many distinguished scholars will attend the conference. While most participants come from the United Kingdom, scholars will also be present from the Netherlands, France, Spain, Canada, the United States, Sweden, Romania, Poland, and Iceland. This international environment provides an ideal setting to present the results of my research at the final stage of my doctoral project. It allows me to gain a sense of how my findings might contribute to ongoing international scholarship and to make my work more widely known as it approaches publication.
Our research group has already published an article in Religions, and through our panel, both our research and our published work will gain additional visibility. In addition to the formal presentations, personal encounters and discussions with conference participants will be particularly valuable.
3. Do you have any suggestions for improving the visibility of these awards?
I learned about the award through my supervisor. One suggestion for increasing the visibility of the awards would be a stronger physical presence at conferences. If Religions had a dedicated space at conferences—similar to the publisher stands that are often present—it could provide an opportunity to enter into conversations with participants and to make the journal’s various initiatives and opportunities more widely known.
4. Do you have any other suggestions on how our journal could further support young researchers and the academic community?
Publishing peer-reviewed articles in open access format is indispensable for ensuring that research reaches a broad audience. Religions makes this possible in an efficient way. Fee waivers for outstanding research—such as those connected to awards like the Young Investigator Award—could further strengthen the diversity of contributions and enable high-quality research from less privileged scholars to reach a wider audience. In particular, I see the Special Issues of Religions as an excellent opportunity to connect with scholars, authors, and editors working on a specific topic. Building scholarly communities and networks is crucial for the subsequent stages of an academic career. While I do not have specific proposals for how this support might be further developed, I would like to emphasize the importance of fostering international academic networks.
In my interactions with the journal so far, I have had very positive experiences. The publication process was efficient and fast. The Microsoft Word template facilitates efficient work and helps authors adhere to the journal’s style requirements.