Narratology and Orality in African Biblical Hermeneutics: Reading the story of Naboth's vineyard and Jehu's revolution in light of &lt;i&gt;Intsomi yamaXhosa&lt;/i&gt;

Ndikho Mtshiselwa

doi:10.4102/ve.v37i1.1563

Abstract

On the issue of methodology, oral literature has been decisive in the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Africa. For instance, Madipoane Masenya (ngwan�a Mphahlele) convincingly employed the folktale of the �Rabbit and the Lion� in her interpretation of the Bible. That Narratology and Orality in African Biblical Hermeneutics is a rarely researched area within biblical scholarship provides room for further studies in this area. This article argues that the reading of the Deuteronomistic story of Naboth�s vineyard and Jehu�s revolution in the light of Intsomi yamaXhosa [the folktale of the Xhosa people] illustrates how biblical interpretation in Africa could be informed by Orality and Narratology. This article examines the light that the socio-economic function of the story of Naboth�s vineyard and Jehu�s revolution would throw on the function of the folktale of Intsimi yeenyamakazana, and vice versa. Furthermore, the present article probes the socio-economic implications that can be drawn from biblical and Xhosa Orality and Narratology for post-apartheid South Africa.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article draws on the indigenous knowledge system, namely Xhosa Narratology and Orality, to interpret Old Testament texts with a view to offering liberating socio-economic possibilities for poor black people in South Africa.

Highlights

Xhosa Orality and Narratology: A theoretical frameworkKwathi ke kaloku yaziinyamakazana zonke, zazilima intsimi zemka zaya kutya amaqgabi ezintabeni
Of significance is that the ideal of equitable sharing of resources embedded in the folktale of Intsimi yeenyamakazana, which is related to the ideology of socialism, produced the view that Ahab’s actions exhibited an ideology of capitalism that stands in contrast to the communitarian and familial approach to land
The article finds that an investigation of the Old Testament texts, from an African Narratology/Orality and social perspective and developing and/or expanding African Biblical Hermeneutics is imperative

Summary

Introduction

Xhosa Orality and Narratology: A theoretical frameworkKwathi ke kaloku yaziinyamakazana zonke, zazilima intsimi zemka zaya kutya amaqgabi ezintabeni. The narrative of Jehu’s revolution as well as the contribution of uFudwana in the folktale of Intsimi yeenyamakazana could offer liberating possibilities to the poor black people who lost their land to the colonial and racist white men in South Africa.

Results

Conclusion