Exploring Postcolonial Biblical Criticism: History, Method, Practice

Postcolonial biblical criticism has been one of the most important and vibrant developments in contemporary Biblical Studies. Exploring Postcolonial Biblical Criticism: History, Method, Practice offers a concise and elegant introduction to this exciting field of study. R.S. Sugirtharajah, widely regarded as the field′s leading proponent, provides a wide ranging overview of the emergence of postcolonial theory –– examining its origins, describing its development, and demonstrating how it is applied to biblical studies. The book then pays particular attention to two of the current features of biblical studies – reverting to the practices of Orientalism and the emergence of Empire Studies especially in the US. The principal representatives and practitioners of contemporary postcolonial biblical criticism are introduced and their work explored. In order to demonstrate the theory, readers are clearly guided through examples of postcolonial reading approaches, including a reading of the birth stories of the Buddha and Jesus. Innovative and timely, Exploring Postcolonial Biblical Criticism: History, Method, Practice provides an accessible introduction to an exciting and engaging development in contemporary critical thinking.

Acknowledgments. Introduction. 1 Postcolonialism: Hermeneutical Journey through a Contentious Discourse. 2 The Late Arrival of the "Post": Postcolonialism and Biblical Studies. 3 Postcolonial Biblical Studies in Action: Origins and Trajectories ( Ralph Broadbent ). 4 Enduring Orientalism: Biblical Studies and the Repackaging of Colonial Practice. 5 Postcolonial Moments: Decentering of the Bible and Christianity. 6 The Empire Exegetes Back: Postcolonial Reading Practices. 7 Afterword: Postcolonial Biblical Criticism: The Unfinished Journey. References. Index of Scriptural References. Index of Names and Subjects.

R. S. Sugirtharajah has published widely on biblical interpretation and especially on the intersection between postcolonialism and biblical studies. His publications include, Postcolonial Criticism and Biblical Interpretation (2002), Postcolonial Reconfigurations (2003), The Bible and Empire (2005), Postcolonial Biblical Reader (2006), Still at the Margins (2006), Voices from the Margin (1995, 2006), and Troublesome Texts (2008).

“This book is brilliantly presented with appropriate biblical texts and hermeneutical insights.”  ( Theology , 1 May 2012) "The book is written by the foremost scholar in this discipline, with an added chapter by, presumably, one of his students to reinforce the point." (Church Times, 21 October 2011)