Debunking the Legacy of “Kaburu” Biblical Hermeneutics in Kenya Through a Postcolonial Reading of Socioeconomic Parables in Luke’s Gospel

Musa Maina ,Julius Kithinji

doi:10.7176/jpcr/53-01

Abstract

Biblical interpretations in post-colonial Kenya and probable in other geopolitical spaces remain indebted to early western missionaries’ lensed biblical “optics,” still very steeply influential in the way the Bible is read and interpreted. Whereas their contributions to the presence and the growth of the church cannot be underestimated, the legacy and validity of their hermeneutics in post-colonial contexts (Kenya) remain questionable and wanting. This is so because of its failure to adequately address the dire existential and contextual concerns of communities of faith in their commitment to serve prophetically. Fostered during colonial era, the hermeneutics give peripheral attention to glaring social economic and political distresses affecting the majority of people while a few, mostly rich and powerful live in unmerited affluence. For recourse, this paper deems postcolonial frameworks of interpretation as appropriate for reading scriptures anew. To demonstrate its efficacy, it enjoins two socioeconomic parables from Luke’s gospel (12:16-21, 15:11-32) for exegetical review and whose goal is to demonstrate that biblical readings must of essence be proactively context sensitive, liberating and transforming. By calling for a debunking of the missionary hermeneutics in favour of postcolonial readings, this paper advocates for reception of the gospel not as a message of personal salvation from the world, but as the message of a world transfigured right down to its basic structure, the household (Oikos). Keywords: Bible, Postcolonial, “Kaburu Legacy,” Eurocentric, hermeneutics, Missionary DOI: 10.7176/JPCR/53-01 Publication date: April 30 th 2021

Highlights

Most post-colonial formerly mission founded churches in Kenya face daunting challenges when it comes to their mission engagements mostly because of the deep influence of hermeneutics fostered by early missionaries
During the missionary enterprise in colonial Kenya, the disquiet dispositions of the missionaries preaching in the midst of socioeconomic and political evils occasioned by colonialism, remains a grave matter of interest, “It was not unusual for missionaries such as John Mackenzie to call for the colonization of the native people” (Dube 2012: 22)
Postcolonial theory is hereby deemed appropriate in view Donaldson (2002:100) who shows that the “optics” are both sensitive to the environment(s) that “birthed” and shaped biblical narratives, and to thetexts of the reader(s). (Con)texts is hereby taken seriously, whether it is that of the text itself or of the reader because either way, both are the social space(s) where power ofempowerment is executed and either affirmed or contested

Summary

Introduction

Most post-colonial formerly mission founded churches in Kenya face daunting challenges when it comes to their mission engagements mostly because of the deep influence of hermeneutics fostered by early missionaries. The reality of the presence of the Roman Empire and its influence as the context and the environment where the texts were premeditated, meditated, imagined, written and interpreted becomes critical for postcolonial interpretations.

Results

Conclusion