The interpreter’s social location in the scholarly interpretations of Old Testament poverty proverbs

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Women’s liberation hermeneutics

The last decade, leading into the twenty-first century, has witnessed an increased and substantial women’s liberation input to overcome women’s long standing oppressed voice. Women’s liberation hermeneutics’* universal perspective concerns the empowering of women and of all people struggling for survival, justice and wholeness of life. The focus of these studies falls on the method of understanding and interpreting the Bible and Christian tradition in the light of women’s experiences of suffering, pain and struggle for living, within a diversity of locations and traditions in the world (cf. Ortega 1995:viii). The aim of this approach is to achieve the proposed goal of justice, peace and wholeness of life. The success of women’s liberation hermeneutics has been well evidenced by the realisation of the potential of a women’s perspective.

The socio-economic structure of traditional African society

In sub-section 3.2.1 (a critical review of some political and economical initiatives in Africa) it has been pointed out that poverty alleviation strategies in post-colonial Africa, have in common, the exclusion of local resources in favour of foreign donors. Some scholars still seem to consider this approach to be a deliberate act of extermination of the ‘brutes’ that is perceived in terms of Western postmodern influence. Yet it would be misleading to assume that poverty arrived with colonialism, even though the latter has made it appear worse. Poverty has existed from antiquity in societies, including those of Africa. Therefore, it is correct to accept Shorter’s (1999:7) and Akao’s (2000:54) emphasis that the people at the grassroots possess a good experiential understanding of the poverty challenge.

Notions of poverty in the traditional African context

One should enquire as to the content, usage and function of the term poverty in African society. Many African proverbs and stories refer to the poor or poverty. This indicates that imagery of poverty is prevalent in the African ethnic languages, demonstrating that the challenge of poverty has been there from time immemorial. Hence, Bible translators have adopted the indigenous words for poverty in their variety without much difficulty. It is not clear to me, however, whether the translators have considered if the semantic perspectives on the poor in the African context show a close affinity with similar words for the poor in the Hebrew Bible.

The concept of Ujamaa (familyhood) in Tanzania

This section briefly analyses a practical case of some positive African traditional values that co-opted modernity. The approach, Ujamaa (familyhood), made valuable contributions towards people’s empowerment by the recognition and protection of human equity and dignity in Tanzania. Owing to the large amount of literature on Ujamaa and the nature of my study the account will focus mainly on the sense of the dynamics of poverty and the transforming strategies undertaken by the policy to address the challenge. Tanzania became independent in 1961 under Julius K. Nyerere, commonly known as Mwalimu (teacher). At some point in time, he was being honoured in Tanzania as ‘Baba wa Taifa’, literally, ‘Father of the Nation’.

African proverbs on poverty

In search of an African understanding of the issue of poverty, it is important to recognise the contribution of proverbs dealing with poverty as a human condition. Proverbial expressions often correctly represent the attitudes, beliefs, values, history, customs and practices that are common to both the speaker and the hearer of proverbs. Because proverbs are part of the African oral culture, they are orally transmitted in the collective or individual initiation and mentoring rites of social maturity practised by many African ethnic groups. Different values and ideals regarding every aspect of life, that is, the social, religious, economic, educational and political issues of a society, are expressed and inculcated into the people using proverbial language.

Table of contents: :

• Acknowledgements
• Abbreviations
• Abstract
• 1 INTRODUCTION
  • 1.1 Statement of the problem
  • 1.2 The interpreter’s social location in the scholarly interpretations of Old Testament poverty proverbs
  • 1.3 Presuppositions with respect to the transformational possibilities of African proverbs
  • 1.4 Methodological issues in the interpretation of biblical proverbs
  • 1.4.1 The structure of the thesis
  • 1.5 Sources for the study
  • 1.6 Scope and limitations of the project
  • 1.7 Significance of the research for the problem of poverty in Africa today
  • 1.8 Conclusion
• 2 A SURVEY OF WESTERN AND AFRICAN INTERPRETATIONS OF POVERTY PROVERBS IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 Western interpretations and poverty proverbs in the Book of Proverbs
  • 2.2.1 The Ancient Near Eastern parallels
    • 2.2.2 The holistic nature of the worldview of ancient Israel
    • 2.2.3 A review of Western scholars’ interpretations of poverty
    • 2.2.4 Analysis of poverty alleviation-cum-eradication strategy
    • 2.2.5 Assessment of the Western interpretations of poverty
  • 2.3 An analysis of African [biblical] scholarship and proverbs on poverty
  • 2.4 Conclusion
• 3 POVERTY AND PROVERBS ON POVERTY IN THE AFRICAN CONTEXT
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 Contemporary responses to the challenge of poverty in Africa
    • 3.2.1 A critical review of some political and economic initiatives in Africa
    • 3.2.2 Some African theological voices on poverty
      • a) Liberation hermeneutics
      • b) Women’s liberation hermeneutics
      • c) Reconstruction hermeneutics
• 3.3 Challenging poverty through returning to African values
  • 3.3.1 The socio-economic structure of traditional African society
  • 3.3.2 Notions of poverty in the traditional African context
  • 3.3.3 The Concept of Ujamaa in Tanzania
• 3.4 African proverbs on poverty
  • 3.4.1 Origins/social location/originators
  • 3.4.2 Circulation
  • 3.4.3 Influence on the people
• 3.5 The transformative nature of African proverbs on poverty
  • 3.5.1 Orientation towards people
  • 3.5.2 Religious orientation
  • 3.5.3 Challenging the elitist status quo
• 3.6 The implications of the transformative nature of poverty proverbs for post-independent twenty-first century Africa
• 3.7 Conclusion
• 4 READING THE OLD TESTAMENT PROVERBS ON POVERTY FROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE
  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2 A cross-cultural comparison between the Old Testament and Africa
    • 4.2.1 Reasons for the Old Testament and traditional African proverbs
    • 4.2.2 Apparent social, cultural, economic and religious similarities
  • 4.3 Reasons for the choice of particular Old Testament proverbs
  • 4.4 An exegesis of relevant proverbs on the social environment and poverty: Proverbs 13:7, 13:18, 19:7, and 21:
  • 4.5 An exegesis of relevant proverbs on the economic environment and poverty: Proverbs 13:23, 22:16, 23:10-11, and 28:
  • 4.6 An exegesis of relevant proverbs concerning the political environment and poverty: Proverbs 22:7, 28:3, 28:15, and 29:
  • 4.7 An exegesis of relevant proverbs regarding a religious environment and poverty: Proverbs 14:31, 17:5, 22:2, and 29:
  • 4.8 Conclusion
• 5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 ‘Tying the knot’
  • 5.3 The need to bring the Old Testament and Africa together
  • 5.4 Implications for the teaching of the Old Testament in Africa today
  • 5.5 Conclusion
• BIBLIOGRAPHY

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