Original Research - Special Collection: Reception of Biblical Discourse in Africa
Debriefing hermeneutics for a balanced reading of the biblical text
Submitted: 02 February 2022 | Published: 25 May 2022
About the author(s)
Mogomme A. Masoga, Faculty of Arts, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, South AfricaAbstract
In this study, it is argued that the trust of previous (and existing) hermeneutical approaches of promoting ancient biblical texts as applicable to the everyday life of contemporary readers is not only imaginable but also too ambitious. The Hebrew Bible emerged from an Israelite cultural context, which neither speaks to nor deliberates on issues concerning the African cultural contexts. The present essay utilises a narrative approach comprising three main overtures. Firstly, some examples of previous contributions on hermeneutics will be discussed. Secondly, this study interrogates the legitimacy of employing African biblical hermeneutics that utilises ancient Jewish texts as applicable to African societies today. Thirdly and finally, the study will critically appraise for a balanced reading of the biblical text.
Contribution: The present study aims at engaging (debriefing) existing hermeneutical contributions towards proposing a balanced reading of the biblical text. In order to achieve that goal, the study engages into a dialogue following hermeneutical approaches, which are popular amongst most African scholars, namely African biblical hermeneutics, black biblical hermeneutics, contextual biblical hermeneutics, feminist hermeneutics and oral hermeneutics.
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Crossref Citations
1. Assessing the Mode of Biblical Interpretation in the Light of African Biblical Hermeneutics: The Case of the Mother-Tongue Biblical Interpretation in Ghana
Emmanuel Kojo Ennin Antwi
Religions vol: 15 issue: 2 first page: 203 year: 2024
doi: 10.3390/rel15020203