The hermeneutical challenge of reading digital biblical texts in Africa

Abstract

This article explores the hermeneutical challenges and possibilities of reading digital biblical texts (Biblia Digitalia) in Africa, building upon Mazamisa’s concept of dialectica reconciliae. The shift from printed Bibles to Biblia Digitalia is the third major transformation in media technology, following the transitions from orality to literacy and from scrolls to codices. This digital shift presents both opportunities and challenges, including the potential for a de facto digital canon, the influence of algorithmic curation and the blurring of boundaries between the text and the reader. The article proposes several avenues for African scholarship, including the creation of open-source online commentaries, increased online availability of African biblical scholarship, intentional engagement with international platforms from an African hermeneutical perspective and critical awareness of the algorithms that govern online content.

Contribution: The article emphasises the need for a balanced and contextually relevant approach to interpreting digital biblical texts in Africa.