Discovering The Bible In The Non Biblical World

As a Chinese woman, a feminist theologian, and a biblical scholar, Pui-lan Kwok brings a new perspective and voice to the task of hermeneutics. Her multidimensional reading of the Bible draws on a tradition much older than that of the West while it simultaneously incorporates the insights of contemporary feminist and Third World theologies. Seeing herself as "wanderer" between the worlds of East and West, Pui-lan Kwok draws on the work of contemporary biblical scholars, as well as the millennia-old commentaries on the Book of Change, the Dao de Jing, and the Bhagavad Gita. Her creativity and imagination come into play as she gradually, inseparably links reader, text, and context. The first three chapters locate the context from which she approaches the Bible as an Asian woman. Pui-lan considers Asian traditions as well as the social biography of Asian peoples and discusses the complex issues of using the Bible in feminist theology. Chapters Four and Five approach the unique Asian context with its long traditions of orality and exegesis of ancient scriptures. Chapter Six analyzes the challenges of Asian critics to western interpretations of scripture and raises sharp issues of colonial oppression. Finally, Discovering the Bible in the Non-Biblical World shows how the multiple oppressions of women provide a context for rediscovering the Bible's liberating message. "Must reading for anyone engaged in biblical studies, cross-cultural education and feminist theology. I highly recommend this richly instructive and powerful book."ùElisabeth Schassler Fiorenza Harvard Divinity School "An important addition to the fast-growing literature on Asian biblical discourse."ùR.S. Sugirtharajah University of Birmingham "A significant contribution to the hermeneutical conversation arising from the global context of reading of the Bible."ùSharon H. Hinge Wesley Theological Seminary

In the critically acclaimed best-seller,Women's Bible Commentary, an outstanding group of women scholars introduced and summarized each book of the Bible and commented on those sections of each book that have particular relevence to women, focusing on female charecters, symbols, life situations such as marriage and family, the legal status of women, and religious principles that affect relationships of women and men. Now, this expanded edition provides similar insights on the Apocrypha, presenting a significant view of the lives and religious experiences of women as well as attitudes toward women in the Second Temple period. This expanded edition sets a new standard for women's and biblical studies.

Known for its fresh approaches as well as for its complex theoretical foundations, postcolonial studies is one of the most dynamic contributions to the field of biblical studies today. The present book is a pedagogically structured introduction to this emerging field for both scholar and student.

Bringing together some of the leading luminaries in feminist, womanist, and multicultural critical biblical studies in this book, each woman describes her unique perspective and offers her reading of a particular biblical scene. This is an ideal text for courses on feminist and multicultural biblical interpretation and includes discussion questions for each chapter and a list of suggested readings.

This volume foregrounds biblical interpretation within the African history of colonial contact, from North Atlantic slavery to the current era of globalization. It reads of the prolonged struggle for justice and of hybrid identities from multifaceted contexts, where the Bible co-exists with African Indigenous Religions, Islam, and other religions. Showcasing the dynamic and creative approaches of an emerging and thriving community of biblical scholarship from the African continent and African diaspora, the volume critically examines the interaction of biblical texts with African people and their cultures within a postcolonial framework. While employing feminist/womanist, postcolonial, Afrocentric, social engagement, creative writing, reconstruction, and HIV/AIDS perspectives, the authors all engage with empire in their own ways: in specific times, forms, and geography. This volume is an important addition to postcolonial and empires studies in biblical scholarship. The contributors are David Tuesday Adamo, Lynn Darden, H. J. M. (Hans) van Deventer, Musa W. Dube, John D. K. Ekem, Ernest M. Ezeogu, Elelwani B. Farisani, Sylvester A. Johnson, Emmanuel Katongole, Malebogo Kgalemang, Temba L. J. Mafico, Madipoane Masenya (ngwan’a Mphahlele), Andrew M. Mbuvi, Sarojini Nadar, Elivered Nasambu-Mulongo, Jeremy Punt, Gerrie Snyman, Lovemore Togarasei, Sam Tshehla, Robert Wafawanaka, Robert Wafula, Gerald West, Alice Y. Yafeh-Deigh, and Gosnell L. Yorke.

This essential introduction to contemporary constructive theology charts the most important disciplinary trends of the moment. It gives a historical overview of the field and discusses key hermeneutical and methodological concerns. The contributors apply a constructive perspective to a wide range of approaches, ranging from biblical hermeneutics and postcolonial studies to comparative, political, and black theology. What is Constructive Theology? shows how diverse and interdisciplinary constructive theology can be by exploring key themes in the field. The contributors explore the porous boundaries between Christianity and other religions, reflect on contextual, liberation and constructive theologies from Africa and from Black British perspectives, explore the connection between embodiment, epistemology and hermeneutics, and take a constructive approach to the dangerous memories and theologies of colonial histories in Belgium and Native Americans in the United States. This sampler of the field will help you rethink theologies and find constructive alternatives.

This valuable resource both presents and demonstrates the numerous developments in feminist criticsm of the Bible and the enormous rage of influence that feminist criticism has come to have in biblical studies. The purpose of the book is to raise issues of method that are largely glossed over or merely implied in most non-feminist works on the Bible. The editors have included broadly theoretical essays on feminist methods and the various roles they may play in research and pedagogy, as well as non-feminist essays that have direct bearing on the methods or subject matter that feminists use, as well as reading that illustrate the variety of methodological strategies adopted by feminist scholars. Some 30 scholars, from North America and Europe, have contributed to this Companion.