UMbhishobhi Rubin Phillip wakhulela endaweni eyayinobu phofu yase-Clairwood lapho azalelwa khona ngo 30 Mashi 1948 emndenini ongakholwa. Lapho eneminyaka engu-16 ubudala UMbhishobhi Rubin Phillip wayeya e-St Michaels Church e-Merebank lapho ahlangana khona nomkakhe eqenjini lentsha, uRosemary Phillip owashada kamuva futhi waba namadodana amabili. Lapho eneminyaka engu-23, wanquma ukuthi wayefuna ukuba ngumfundisi ogcotshiwe eSontweni LaseSheshi.
Wangena ebupristini ngo-1971 futhi wagcotshwa njengombhishobhi ngu-Archbishop Desmond Tutu ngo-1995. Wayengomunye wababhishobhi bokuqala ngokwebala e-Anglican Diocese of Natal. Waba ngowokuqala waseNingizimu Afrika owayengemhlophe ukuba abambe isikhundla sikaMbhishobhi waKwaZulu-Natali ngo-2000.
UMbhishobhi Phillip wayebambe iqhaza kwi-Black Consciousness Movement futhi wayeyiPhini likaMongameli uSteve Biko kwi-South African Students Organisation ngo-1969. Waba neqhaza elikhulu emzabalazweni wokulwa nobandlululo futhi wachitha iminyaka emithathu eboshelwe endlini. Ngenxa yezimpande zakhe nokuthobeka, uPhilip wanqoba okwakudalwe Abahlali baseMjondolo, okuyinhlangano yabahlali basemjondolo ku-Kennedy Road. Ngo-2008, uPhillip waphumelela ukuthola incwadi yenkantolo evimbela ukuthunyelwa kwezikhali okwakumiselwe ukuthi iZimbabwe ithuthwe eNingizimu Afrika.
Wakhankasela ukuvikelwa futhi wanikeza isiphephelo kubantu baseZimbabwe ngesikhathi sokuhlaselwa kwabokufika ngonyaka ofanayo. Ekuboneni ukubamba iqhaza kwakhe enhlanganweni elwa nobandlululo kanye nomsebenzi wakhe oqhubekayo wokunikeza ubumbano kubantu abasele dengwane, izisulu zokushushiswa kanye nababoshiwe, uMbhishobhi Phillip wathola i-Bremen International Peace Prize kanye ne-Diakonia Award.
Nanamuhla, ukuzibophezela kukaMbhishobhi Phillip ezinhlelweni zokwenza ukuthula, ukubuyisana kanye nokulamula esifundazweni sonke kuyisibonelo esikhanyayo salokho okungafinyelelwa kuphela ngamandla ezinkolelo zomuntu, kodwa nangamandla ezenzo zakhe. Usazobamba iqhaza ezindabeni zokuthula, ezobulungiswa kanye namalungelo abantu eNingizimu Afrika naseZimbabwe.
Uqhubeka nokuthatha izikhundla kwezepolitiki futhi uhlala exhumene nemizabalazo yemishosha phansi.