Interpreting the Old Testament in Africa: Papers from the International Symposium on Africa and the Old Testament in Nairobi, October 1999

258 Pages·2001·7.79 MB·English

by  Mary Getui, Knut Holter, Victor Zinkuratire

Interpreting the
Old Testament in Africa
Bible and Theology in Africa
Knut Holter
General Editor
Vol. 2
PETER LANG
NFreawn kYfourrkt •a mW Masahiinn g•t oBne, rlDin.C •. /BBraulstsiemlso r•e V • iBenonsato •n O• xBfoerrnd
Interpreting the
Old
Testament in Afica
Papers from the International
Symposium on Africa and the
Old Testament in Nairobi,
October 1999
Edited by
Mary Getui, Knut Holter,
& Victor Zint~uratire
PETER LANG
New York • Washington, D.C./Baltimore • Boston • Bern
Frankfurt am Main • Berlin • Brussels • Vienna • Oxford
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
International Symposium on Africa and
the Old Testament (1999: Nairobi, Kenya)
Interpreting the Old Testament in Africa: papers from the International
Symposium on Africa and the Old Testament in Nairobi,
October 1999 I edited by Mary Getui, Knut Holter, and Victor Zinkuratire.
p. em. - (Bible and theology in Africa; vol. 2)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Bible. O.T.-Criticism, interpretation, etc.-Africa, Sub-Saharan
Congresses. I. Getui, Mary N. II. Holter, Knut.
III. Zinkuratire, Victor. IV. Title. V. Series.
BS1188 .154 221.6'096-dc21 00-059987
ISBN 0-8204-4978-4
ISSN 1525-9846
Die Deutsche Bibliothek-CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Interpreting the Old Testament in Africa: papers from the International
Symposium on Africa and the Old Testament in Nairobi,
October 1999 I ed. by: Mary Getui ....
-New York; Washington, D.C./Baltimore; Boston; Bern;
Frankfurt am Main; Berlin; Brussels; Vienna; Oxford: Lang.
(Bible and theology in Africa; Vol. 2)
ISBN 0-8204-4978-4
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability
of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity
of the Council of Library Resources.
© 2001 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.
Printed in the United States of America
Table of Contents
Preface IX
Mary Getui, Knut Holter, Victor Zinkuratire:
Introduction
Mapping the Context of Old Testament Studies in Africa 5
Jesse Mugambi:
Africa and the Old Testament 7
Knut Holter:
The Current State of Old Testament Scholarship m Africa:
Where Are We at the Turn of the Century? 27
Finding Africa in the Old Testament 41
Marta Hoyland Lavik:
The "African" Texts of the Old Testament and Their African
Interpretations 43
Tewoldemedhin Habtu:
The Images of Egypt m the Old Testament: Reflections on
African Hermeneutics 55
David Tuesday Adamo:
The Images of Cush m the Old Testament: Reflections on
African Hermeneutics 65
VI Interpreting the Old Testament in Africa
Using Africa to Interpret the Old Testament 75
Louis Jonker:
Towards a "Communal" Approach for Reading the Bible m
Africa 77
Aloo Osotsi Mojo/a:
The Social Sciences and the Study of the Old Testament m
Africa: Some Methodological Considerations 89
Hendrik Bosman:
All Past and Present But Little Future? African and Old
Testament Concepts of Time and History 101
Sammy Githuku:
Taboos on Counting 113
Jonathan Gichaara:
What's in a Name? African Versus Old Testament Nomen
119
clature
Joseph Muutuki:
Using the Kamba Culture to Interpret Old Testament Covenants 125
Using the Old Testament to Interpret Africa 131
Madipoane Masenya (ngwana' Mphahlele ):
Wisdom and Wisdom Converge: Selected Old Testament and
Northern Sotho Proverbs 133
Constance Shisanya:
A Reflection on the Hagar Narratives in Genesis Through the
Eyes of a Kenyan Woman 147
Bungishabaku Katho:
Jeremiah 22: Implications for the Exercise of Political Power in
Africa 153
Pauline Otieno:
Interpreting the Book of Psalms in the Coptic Orthodox Church
of Kenya 159
Philomena Mwaura:
The Old Testament in the Nabii Christian Church of Kenya 165
Table of Contents
Vll
Margaret Aringo:
Work in the Old Testament and m African Tradition:
Implications for Today 171
Anne Nasimiyu Wasike:
Genesis 1-2 and Some Elements of Diversion From the Original
Meaning of the Creation of Man and Woman 17 5
Mary Getui:
The Bible in African Theology 181
Serapio Kabazzi Kisirinya:
Interpreting the Old "Testament" in Africa: Last Will, Contract
or Covenant? 189
Translating the Old Testament in Africa 193
Peter Renju:
United Bible Societies' Strategies for Old Testament Translation
in Africa 195
Leonidas Kalugila:
Central Issues of Old Testament Translation in Africa 205
Victor Zinkuratire:
Morphological and Syntactical Correspondences Between
Hebrew and Bantu Languages 21 7
Index of Authors 227
Index of Subjects 233
Index of Biblical References 237
List of Contributors 245
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Preface
This book is a collection of papers read at the International Symposium
on Africa and the Old Testament, which took place in Karen, outside
Nairobi, in October 1999.
As organisers of the symposium and editors of this book we would
like to express our gratitude to those institutions and people that made it
all possible. First, to our own institutions-Kenyatta University
(Nairobi), the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (Nairobi), and the
School of Mission and Theology (Stavanger)--for moral and economic
support. Then, to the Norwegian Research Council (Oslo), for a generous
grant to cover the involved expences. Also, to the Dimesse Sisters in
Karen, for their patience and hospitality during our days in their convent
and conference centre.
We want to thank Peter Lang Publishing, Inc. (New York) for
permission to publish the work simultaneously in the USA and Kenya.
We also want to thank Professor Jesse Mugambi and Acton Publishers
(Nairobi) for accepting the book for publication in the series "Biblical
Studies in African Scholarship".
Nairobi and Stavanger, June 2000
Mary Getui, Knut Holter, Victor Zinkuratire