“I shavha i sia muinga i ya fhi?”: Decolonial reflection on African biblical hermeneutics

Authors

  • Hulisani Ramantswana University of South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17570/stj.2016.v2n2.a19

Keywords:

Hermeneutics, African biblical hermeneutics, ancestor veneration, Western hermeneutics, decolonisation, coloniality

Abstract

“I shavha i sia muinga i yafhi?” (Running away from your own path, where are you heading?). This Tshivenda proverb highlights the need for people to affirm their own roots. On the basis of the wisdom of the preceding proverb, I will argue from a decolonial perspective that African biblical scholars have to take seriously their own African heritage, the complexity of their social location, show concern for the plight of the grassroots communities, and thus do justice to their contexts rather than relying heavily on Western paradigms. In so doing they will contribute towards shaping the face of biblical hermeneutics.

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Published

2016-12-31

How to Cite

Ramantswana, H. (2016). “I shavha i sia muinga i ya fhi?”: Decolonial reflection on African biblical hermeneutics. Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 2(2), 401–429. https://doi.org/10.17570/stj.2016.v2n2.a19

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2016)

Section

General Articles (articles from all theological disciplines)

License

Copyright (c) 2016 Hulisani Ramantswana

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