Abstract
In African biblical scholarship, the concept of inculturation hermeneutics has come to be almost, if not always, linked to the late Professor Justin S. Ukpong, the Nigerian New Testament scholar. In inculturation hermeneutics, argued Ukpong, the past of the biblical text is not supposed to be studied as an end in itself, but as a means to an end. Ukpong (2002) could thus argue: ‘Thus in inculturation hermeneutics, the past collapses into the present, and exegesis fuses with hermeneutics’ (p. 18). What does Ukpong’s concept of inculturation hermeneutics actually entail? Which implications does his notion of the fusion of exegesis and hermeneutics have for the theory and praxis of African Biblical Hermeneutics particularly on the African continent today? The preceding questions will be engaged with in this article.
Highlights
What does Ukpong’s concept of inculturation hermeneutics entail? Which implications does his notion of the fusion of exegesis and hermeneutics have for the theory and praxis of African Biblical Hermeneutics on the African continent today? The preceding questions will be engaged with in this article
Concerned that Africans on the African continent had to answer questions that are posed by themselves, questions informed by what happens in the daily lives of ordinary people, convinced that the methods from the West cannot be sufficient in handling Biblical Studies that are taught on the continent, persuaded by the belief that the Christian Bible has a significant contribution to make in the discipline of Biblical Studies, persuaded by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to transform lives, the late Professor Justin S
Like the proverbial cattle that are praised only when they have finished the race, one would venture to applaud this great son of the African soil for all the contributions which he has made to African Biblical Hermeneutics
Summary
The preceding proverb comes to mind when the metaphor of ‘woman-as-exile at home’ is applied to women in present day (South) African contexts In her 2007 article entitled, ‘Invisible Exiles? 3.In a more or less similar vein, Okure (2000) is of the view that experiences of present day Bible readers, of necessity need to serve as point of departure in our Bible reading practices: ‘Our contemporary life experiences are a valid standpoint for understanding the biblical text. They are the only standpoint we have. Experience here is not feeling, but total emersion in life, being seasoned by life’ (p. 202)
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