The One Who Sees Me: Finding Hagar through Literary Hermeneutics and Religious Interpretive Agency

Abstract

The figure of Hagar is a critical example of a marginalized woman of color whose actions and relationship to God models the course of theological liberation for the oppressed; but her story must first be her own. Examining the under-explored details of Hagar’s story and voice renders them (scripturally and diasporically) significant to broadly understanding the marginalized lives of women of color. Placing the Hagaritic findings and interpretive moves of Delores Williams in dialogue with Arabic, African, and Africandescended literature and religious scholarship allows for a broader understanding of Hagar’s experience to inform the lives of those who draw connection to her story.