Decolonizing Biblical Studies: A View from the Margins

by Fernando F. Segovia

Overview

Over the last quarter of a century the field of biblical studies has seen radical changes in the conception, practice and teaching of biblical criticism. In Decolonizing Biblical Studies, Fernando Segovia analyzes the models and practices at work in biblical criticism and pedagogy, in particular the emerging voices of the non-Western world. By exploring the principles that underlie all contextual readings of scripture -- Hispanic/Latino(a), Black, feminist, and Third World -- he offers a powerful challenge to the dominant paradigms of biblical interpretation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570753381
Publisher:	Orbis Books
Publication date:	11/28/2000
Pages:	177
Product dimensions:	6.05(w) x 9.27(h) x 0.55(d)

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	vii
	Introduction	ix
Part I	Grand Models and Strategies of Interpretation
1.	"And They Began to Speak in Other Tongues" Competing Modes of Discourse in Contemporary Biblical Criticism	3
	Competing Modes of Discourse in Biblical Criticism	7
	Historical Criticism: The Text as Means	11
	Literary Criticism: The Text as Medium	16
	Cultural Criticism: The Text as Means and Medium	22
	Cultural Studies: The Text as Construction	29
2.	Cultural Studies and Contemporary Biblical Criticism Ideological Criticism as Mode of Discourse	34
	Plotting Biblical Criticism	35
	Cultural Studies: The Text as Construction	41
	Concluding Comments	50
Part II	Grand Models and Strategies of Pedagogy
3.	Pedagogical Discourse and Practices in Contemporary Biblical Criticism	55
	Pedagogical Discourse and Practices in Historical, Literary, and Cultural Criticism	59
	Recent Calls for Change: Cultural Studies	73
	Concluding Comments	85
4.	Pedagogical Discourse and Practices in Cultural Studies Toward a Contextual Biblical Pedagogy	87
	Cultural Studies: Diagnoses and Prescriptions	89
	Cultural Studies and Pedagogy: A Proposal	92
	Concluding Reflections	111
Part III	Biblical Studies and Postcolonial Studies
5.	Biblical Criticism and Postcolonial Studies Toward a Postcolonial Optic	119
	Option for a Postcolonial Optic	121
	Postcolonial Studies and Biblical Criticism	125
	Concluding Comments	131
6.	Notes toward Refining the Postcolonial Optic	133
	The Question of Nomenclature	133
	Reading the Responses	135
	Concluding Comments	142
Part IV	Voices From Outside
7.	My Personal Voice The Making of a Postcolonial Critic	145
	Historical Criticism: Suppression of the Personal Voice	147
	Cultural Studies: Irruption of the Personal Voice	150
	Postcolonial Studies: Entrenchment of the Personal Voice	152
	Concluding Comments	155
8.	Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Biblical Studies	157
	Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Biblical Studies at the Turn of the Century	160
	Life and Role of Ethnic and Racial Minorities in Biblical Studies	170