Global Hermeneutics? - International Voices in Biblical Studies ...

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JONKER 55 basis of the inter-contextuality involved in our common pursuit of biblical interpretation.” This view takes its point of departure in the dialogical nature of meaning. Meaning is not something “out there” which can be excavated from those authoritative texts that we have at our disposal. Those with the most efficient tools (read: money and methods) 21 are obviously the fastest in uncovering “meaning”. And this Vorsprung durch Technik (to borrow an expression from the advertising campaign of a well-known German car) puts these interpreters in a position of dominance and power. Certain perspectives and approaches (or interpretative contexts) are simply regarded as being more valid and important than others. However, when we start acknowledging that meaning is not something “out there”, but that it is rather something dialogical that comes into being in interaction with others, the issue of dominance or interpretative power could be relativised. No one of us can claim sole possession of meaning. Without interaction, there is no meaning. Possession of meaning leads to relativism (where each one claims the validity of his/her point of view). Meaning-as-interaction, however, provides contours along which the ethical responsibility of global hermeneutics could be fulfilled. My proposal of a communal approach is not an attempt at formulating yet another exegetical (super-)method. It should rather be seen as an appreciation of the multidimensionality of the textual traditions that we consider authoritative, as well as of the multidimensionality of the global world in which we interpret those traditions. The attitude of communality could bring us to that liminal space where different approaches and different contexts can start interacting with one another in a dialogical uncovering of meaning. CONCLUSION I am in complete agreement with Ukpong’s analysis of the three phases in the process of the globalisation of Old Testament studies. And I agree that we are now in the third phase in which resistance to European and American control of Old Testament interpretation is offered by non-Westerners and in which the decentralisation of interpretation is taking place. But I would like to remain an idealist who looks forward to a fourth phase: a phase of communality. This fourth phase will not be characterised by binary oppositions and power plays. Our exegetical agenda will then be set by the biblical texts themselves, and not by our agendas of control and influence. 21 See K. Holter, “It’s not only a question of money! African Old Testament scholarship between the myths and meaning of the South and the money and methods of the North,” OTE 11 (1998), 240–254.
56 GLOBAL HERMENEUTICS? Will a fourth phase ever dawn? Probably not! But this does not prevent me from remaining an idealist!
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International Voices in Biblical St
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International Voices in Biblical St
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Copyright © 2010 by the Society of
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Introduction The XIXth Congress of
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List of Contributors DR. GERLINDE B
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Geographical and Institutional Aspe
Page 16 and 17: HOLTER 5 The first set of tables ou
Page 18 and 19: HOLTER 7 list. Then in 2005 there a
Page 20 and 21: HOLTER 9 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s To
Page 22 and 23: HOLTER 11 collaboration is concerne
Page 24 and 25: HOLTER 13 research in France, or wh
Page 26: Part II CASE STUDIES
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Page 33 and 34: 22 GLOBAL HERMENEUTICS? Testament t
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Page 37 and 38: 26 GLOBAL HERMENEUTICS? BIBLICAL HE
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Page 41 and 42: 30 GLOBAL HERMENEUTICS? The land is
Page 43 and 44: 32 GLOBAL HERMENEUTICS? perceived a
Page 46 and 47: Reading the Old Testament from a Ni
Page 48 and 49: OBIORAH 37 prerequisites for undert
Page 50 and 51: OBIORAH 39 It is a society where th
Page 52 and 53: OBIORAH 41 Those without formal edu
Page 54: OBIORAH 43 level of literacy among
Page 58 and 59: The Global Context and Its Conseque
Page 60 and 61: JONKER 49 It seems to me that Prof.
Page 62 and 63: JONKER 51 textual reception in the
Page 64 and 65: JONKER 53 anthropological definitio
Page 68 and 69: The Global Context and Its Conseque
Page 70 and 71: MOJOLA 59 global ambitions: we find
Page 72 and 73: MOJOLA 61 ability to express themse
Page 74 and 75: MOJOLA 63 specific. It only places
Page 76 and 77: MOJOLA 65 God’s name in Kiswahili
Page 78 and 79: MOJOLA 67 with the above when he ob
Page 80 and 81: MOJOLA 69 Nevertheless it could be
Page 82 and 83: MOJOLA 71 Iraqw/Gorwa tongue for th
Page 84 and 85: MOJOLA 73 For many years ever since
Page 86 and 87: MOJOLA 75 of purification is normal
Page 88 and 89: MOJOLA 77 Jacob Milgrom held in a c
Page 90 and 91: MOJOLA 79 two systems. These differ
Page 92 and 93: MOJOLA 81 categories discussed abov
Page 94: Part IV AFTERWORD
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Page 99 and 100: 88 GLOBAL HERMENEUTICS? biblical in
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