DECOLONISATION IN THE WORKS OF SELECTED AFRICAN OLD TESTAMENT SCHOLARS

Abstract

Deco.l.onisati.on i.n bib.li.cal he.rmene.uti.cs, an att.e.mpt to fre.e bib.li.cal i.n.t.e.rpre.tati.on from West.e.rn hege.mony, fe.atures prom.i.nen.tly i.n Afri.can O.ld T.esta.men.t s.cho.larsh.ip. Prev.i.o.u.s studi.es on the deco.l.onisati.on of the O.ld T.esta.men.t (OT) i.n Afri.ca focu.s.ed largely on i.ts h.istory, me.thods and process, wi.th li.ttl.e att.en.ti.on pa.id to exa.m.i.n.ati.on of the wor.ks of Afri.can OT s.cho.lars. Th.is study w.as, the.re.fore, designed to exa.m.i.ne deco.l.onisati.on i.n the wor.ks of s.el.ect.ed Afri.can s.cho.lars, wi.th a v.i.ew to de.t.e.rm.i.ni.ng the the.mes and bib.li.cal he.rmene.uti.cs u.s.ed for repres.en.tati.on i.n the.i.r t.exts. Ju.sti.n Ukpong‟s I.nculturati.on He.rmene.uti.cs w.as u.s.ed as the fra.mewor.k, wh.il.e the i.n.t.e.rpre.tive design w.as adopt.ed. Purposive sa.mpli.ng w.as u.s.ed to s.el.ect thre.e s.cho.lars: Dav.id Ada.mo, Madipo.ane Mas.enya and Ge.rald West, be.i.ng the fore.most Afri.can OT s.cho.lars that had an avowed p.enchan.t for the place of Afri.ca/Afri.cans i.n the OT. Six t.exts we.re purposively s.el.ect.ed owi.ng to the.i.r the.mati.c rel.evance. The t.exts we.re Ada.mo‟s Afri.ca and Afri.cans i.n the O.ld T.esta.men.t (A.A.OT) and Re.adi.ng and I.n.t.e.rpre.ti.ng the Bib.l.e i.n Afri.can i.ndigeno.u.s Churches (RIBI.Cs), Mas.enya‟s How worthy is the woman of worth? Re.re.adi.ng Prove.rbs 31: 10–31 i.n Afri.can-So.uth Afri.ca (HWWWRPASA) and Rede.fi.ni.ng o.urs.elves: a bosadi (womanho.od) appro.ach (ROBW.A), and West‟s Bib.li.cal he.rmene.uti.cs of libe.rati.on: modes of re.adi.ng the Bib.l.e i.n the So.uth Afri.can con.t.ext (BHLMRBSAC) and Bib.li.cal he.rmene.uti.cs i.n Afri.ca: a re.ade.r i.n Afri.can the.o.l.ogy BHARAT). The t.exts we.re exege.ti.cally an.alys.ed. Three themes in the texts were identified: cultural empowerment, gender emancipation and political liberation. Adamo deploys vWK “Cush” and its derivative yv.i²Wk “Cushite” for cultural empowerment, Masenya employs lyIx;â-tv,a.e (virtuous woman) for gender emancipation and West uses the OT Exodus story for political liberation. The presence, role and cultural contribution of Africans to the holistic history of ancient Israel are implied in the OT‟s passages (AAOT and RIBICs) While the usage of vWK and its derivative yv.i²Wk (AAOT) agre.e wi.th prop.e.r Hebra.i.c s.e.man.ti.cs for b.lacks, the.reby implyi.ng Afri.ca/Afri.can; the exist.en.ti.al u.s.e of the Bib.l.e i.n i.ndigeno.u.s churches is canvass.ed (RIBI.Cs). Exege.ti.cally, the t.exts (A.A.OT and RIBI.Cs) are i.n.appli.cab.l.e to the ave.rage b.lack man. Women, from the West.e.rn and mal.e p.e.rsp.ectives i.n the OT, are charact.e.ris.ed by i.nv.isibili.ty, sil.ence and obs.curi.ty (HWWWRPASA and ROBW.A). lyIx;â-tv,a.e is depl.oyed to appra.is.e the strength of womanho.od, esp.eci.ally the b.lack So.uth Afri.can women and gi.rl-ch.ildren (HWWWRPASA), but did not align wi.th i.ts Hebra.i.c portrayal as de.fi.ned wi.th.i.n the marri.ed statu.s (ROBW.A). Both t.exts (HWWWRPASA and ROBW.A) are opaqu.e i.n translati.ng the.ory i.n.to practi.cab.l.e st.eps. Po.li.ti.cal libe.rati.on is epi.tom.is.ed i.n the OT Exodu.s story, but the Aparthe.id regime u.s.es the bib.li.cal he.rmene.uti.cs to ju.stify suppressi.on and dom.i.n.ance (BHLMRBSAC and BHARAT). Altho.ugh a wh.i.t.e So.uth Afri.can, West u.s.es i.nsights from the OT Exodu.s story to exe.mplify b.lack libe.rati.on i.n So.uth Afri.ca (BHLMRBSAC and BHARAT), as aga.i.nst ali.eni.ati.on and oppressi.on. Howeve.r, he makes subtl.e re.fe.rence to the rights of the oppress.ed. I.n the.i.r s.el.ect.ed wor.ks on deco.l.onisati.on, Ada.mo, Mas.enya and West foregro.und the i.n.t.e.rpre.tati.on of the O.ld T.esta.men.t i.n Afri.can soci.o-cultural exp.e.ri.ence, but are un.ab.l.e to match the.ory wi.th practi.ce.