Scholar-Activist Encounter: Epiphany in Exile

February 12, 2026, 7:30pm Eastern Time (US and Canada)

How do activism and scholarship contribute to our understanding of Scripture in the world today?

During this last week of the season of Epiphany, we will gather to focus our attention on the time that the Holy Family spent as migrants and refugees fleeing political violence, and how this story can inform our immigrant rights activism today.

Rev. Dr. Safwat Marzouk, a Hebrew Testament scholar and Egyptian Presbyterian, will provide a teaching on the Coptic understanding of the journey the Holy Family made in Egypt, including the roots of this story in Hebrew scripture and Jewish self-understanding. He will be joined by Rev. Dr. Stephany Rose, a pastor and activist who is deeply engaged in immigrant solidarity and racial justice organizing.

Following this we will engage in a participatory dialogue in which all who are engaged in activism to oppose the demonization and targeting of immigrant communities are invited to share. Together we will explore how a detailed understanding of the circumstances in which Jesus Christ and his family lived as immigrants can help us to make sense of the violent xenophobia we are facing today.

This event is co-sponsored by the Society of Biblical Literature.

Advanced registration is required. An option to donate is provided; all are welcome to attend regardless of ability to pay. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email followed by a separate email with information about how to join the session.

Please Note! Registration closes one half hour prior to the start of the event.

Speaker Bio

Rev. Dr. Safwat Marzouk is an Egyptian Presbyterian pastor and Associate Professor of Old Testament at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. His research interests include thinking theologically about monsters in the Bible; the Bible and popular culture; and immigration and the Bible. He is the author of Egypt as a Monster in the Book of Ezekiel (Mohr Siebeck, 2015) and Intercultural Church: A Biblical Vision for an Age of Migration (Fortress, 2019), as well as many articles and book chapters. He is currently working on a commentary on Exodus for the New Interpretation Series of Westminster John Knox Press. Dr. Marzouk was ordained as a pastor in 2002 by the Delta Presbytery of the Synod of the Nile (the governing body of the Presbyterian Church in Egypt), and in May 2021 he joined the Wabash Valley Presbytery of PC(USA). As a Christian Egyptian and migrant to the United States, he interprets the Bible in ways that are interreligiously and interculturally sensitive, seeking God’s shalom and justice for the vulnerable and the marginalized.

Rev. Dr. Stephany Rose is a resolute progressive activist dedicated to driving systemic change in social justice, environmental sustainability, and equitable access to resources. She currently serves as Executive Director of Politivist Action PAC and Lead Spokesperson for the Movement For Freedom. With a strong background in higher education and civic engagement, she taught as a tenured professor of women’s and ethnic studies at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, while also pastoring and serving as a spokesperson for Just Democracy. In her pursuit of public service, she ran for Congress in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District in 2018 and became the democratic nominee, demonstrating her commitment to representation. Whether in the classroom, on the streets in the community, or engaging in democracy, her tireless work focuses on advancing equity for the most impacted and vulnerable communities while advocating for critical issues such as healthcare for all, education equity, affordable and sustainable housing, economic empowerment, and peace and safety for all.