The extent to which OTSSA Journal (OTE) reflects the indigenous African culture and tradition from 2001-2016

David Tuesday Adamo

doi:10.17159/2312-3621/2018/v31n1a4

Abstract

This paper is an examination of the Old Testament Society (OTSSA) Journal ( Old Testament Essays-OTE ) from 2001 to 2016 in order to determine the extent to which the published articles in OTE reflect the indigenous African culture and tradition. I will examine each volume of OTE available to me from 2001 to 2016, to determine the percentage of articles that reflect indigenous African culture and tradition. Even though OTSSA is an African association and its journal belongs to Africa and published in Africa by Africans who live in Africa, can one truly say that it reflects African Old Testament studies or Eurocentric Old Testament Studies? At the time when scholars all over the world are taking seriously the indigenous approach to the study of the Bible (Old Testament), can one truly say that OTE is taking African Old Testament studies or African contextual approaches seriously? This paper is basically to challenge Old Testament scholars who have the advantage of living, studying, and lecturing in Africa, irrespective of colour, to take African Old Testament Studies seriously.

Highlights

It is needless to say that OTE is published by the Old Testament Society of South Africa and a journal accredited by the Department of National Education
Most African biblical scholars are trained in the Eurocentric approach and it became the foundation of Afrocentric approach
Even though OTSSA is an African association and its journal belongs to Africa and published in Africa by Africans who live in Africa, can one truly say that it reflects African OT studies or Eurocentric OT Studies? Old Testament scholars all over the world are taking seriously the

Summary

A INTRODUCTION

My main objective in writing this article is to examine OTE and its articles in order to find out to what extent those articles reflect the indigenous African culture, tradition, and religion. It is important to define what I consider to be African OT studies because this will be the criteria by which each article will be judged whether it reflects African culture, religion, and tradition. It is the formulation of interpretatio Africana in OT research.8 This can be “the re-reading of the Christian scripture from a premeditatedly Africentric perspective” when the “analysis of the OT text is done from the perspective of African world-view and culture.” It is the bringing of African life interest which may be healing, protection, or success, into the interpretation of the OT..

B THE NEED FOR AFRICANIZED OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES IN AFRICA

C COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS

E CONCLUSION