I wonder about the use of the word "queer." Language is very powerful and the word feels very loaded to me.

I wonder if this is an example of language changing. Twenty years ago using the word "queer" would have been offensive to many gays/lesbians. I do see that "queer" is non-gendered and the concept that gender is socially constructed and not part of the essential is making me think. Thanks! Sue

Sterling, I appreciate your perspective. It seems you are wondering how thoughtful, caring and intelligent people can continue to see the Bible as a foundation document when it contains such explicitly violent, cruel and demeaning material. We can dance around it with our different interpretations, putting it in historical context, analyzing it through a queer or feminist lens but there it is! This doesn't even get us into the history of the faith and all the brutality there. I'm glad you remind us to really look hard at these very difficult texts. Sue

The lack of a clear boundary between psychoanalytic and psychological criticism is interesting because relatively few mental health practitioners today are trained to rely on an examination of unconscious processes or to focus on "structures, processes and habitats of the human psyche." I am thinking "habitats" must mean social and cultural context. In counseling and psychology today awareness of cross-cultural issues is critical. I wonder about applying psychological principles (a Western way of thinking that developed post-enlightenment) to ancient people and texts. There seems to be an assumption that regardless of culture and period in history, these internal and individual psychological processes are operative. In other words, even if we want to focus on psyches, can we assume that psyches then and now operate in the same way? I'm going to spend some time on the web site you reference, Aaron, and see if it can shed some light on my questions. Thanks!

Thanks, Aaron. You've hit on a lively topic in psychology - nature versus nurture. I agree that physiologically our human brain structure has been stable for an extraordinarily long time. I think the psychoanalytic scholars are probably talking about hypothetical psychological structures and processes - things like "psyche," "ego," and "sublimation." There are no physical correlates for these constructs although the functions of these hypothetical structures and processes can be identified as occurring in specific parts of the brain. So I wonder if Abraham's ego (nurture) functioned in the same way as a man's in the West in the twenty-first century? Can ideas about psyche that were developed in the West be applied to a tribal patriarch who lived thousands and thousands of years ago? I am much more comfortable talking about what Abraham might have been feeling than I am his ego or superego. Then I would be assuming that at the feeling level (delight, anger, fear, awe, sorrow, loneliness, joy, etc.) there is continuity for humans over thousands of years. I am making huge leaps here so need to get on the web site! Thanks again. Sue

The canonization process is fascinating! I attended a lecture this evening by a local scholar, and he emphasized how important it is to study early church history and the conflicts around doctrine and orthodox texts. He stated that throughout Christianity's history, the tensions and issues that resulted in one text being included and another being excluded are still with us and are relevant to today. For instance, Elaine Pagels hypothesizes that the Gospel of Thomas (which you mention, Aaron) was excluded in favor of John in part because of its emphasis on the personal, experiential dimension of faith. Based on your summary, Marcus, this sort of thinking would not be part of canonical criticism. The canon is the canon. I wonder what the canon will look like in 500 years - will the church support some of the changes you suggest, Aaron?

Postcolonial Biblical Criticism is a broad, post-modern approach to reading the Bible that focuses on the influence of empire and political power on the text and the reader by exploring the following:
* the sociopolitical world within which the writer lived and about which he or she wrote
* the impact of traditional interpretations of the text, particularly modern Western interpretations, on colonized peoples, their communities and their cultures
* the impact of those same interpretations on colonizing peoples, their communities and their cultures
* new ways of reading the text that provide a liberating voice for colonized and marginalized peoples
In sum, it is a way of reading with alertness to power dynamics and political realities then and now. Approaching the text through this lens also means suspicion of easy categorizations that minimize the diversity and complexity within groups and emphasize the differences between groups.

Prominent scholars include: Fernando F. Segovia; R.S. Sugirtharajah; Musa W. Dube (feminist)

"In this stimulating study, R. S. Sugirtharajah explores the implications of postcolonial criticism for biblical studies. He provides a comprehensive overview of the origins, definitions, and procedures of postcolonial criticism, followed by a discussion of the significance of postcolonial criticism in biblical interpretation. He reveals how postcolonial criticism can offer an alternative perspective to our understanding of the Bible, and how, when the Bible has been deployed as a Western cultural icon, it has come to be questioned in new ways. " This book provides an overview of postcolonial Biblical criticism from a leading scholar - may be heavy going but is recommended for interested lay readers.

Examines postcolonial Biblical criticism as it applies to teaching the Bible. Provides a succinct overview of this approach to reading the Bible. Includes an analysis of the story of Hagar and Sarah that examines the sociopolitical context of the writer, traditional modern interpretations and concludes that Hagar and Sarah are examples of courageous, marginalized women in a patriarchal society who are able to maintain their dignity. Contrasts this reading with a feminist interpretation.

A blog that seems quite informative! Particularly interesting is the distinction between liberation theology and postcolonial Biblical criticism. I was intrigued with the highlighted questions.

"This volume explores postcolonial biblical criticism from a number of different but interrelated angles, so as to bring it into as sharp a focus as possible. Thus far, such a mapping of postcolonial biblical criticism as a whole has not been undertaken in explicit and detailed terms. Postcolonial Biblical Criticism seeks to do this primarily by carefully situating postcolonial biblical criticism in relation to other important political and theoretical currents in contemporary biblical studies: feminism; racial/ethnic studies; poststructuralism; and Marxism."

Series of essays with a focus on the New Testament, edited by two prominent scholars in postcolonial criticism. In the chapter by Sze-kar Wan, The Letter to the Galatians, he explores the ethnic tension in the letter and the dangers of over-simplification when examining ethnic categories such as Jewish and Gentile. He further discusses how "Roman imperial discourse was ... revised and appropriated for the use of the Jerusalem Jesus-movement." A focus on how empire shapes a minority community and the power dynamics within the community itself. Bibliography could be expanded by examining the work of the individual authors.

This article looks fascinating to me for several reasons. First, it focuses on South Africa where historically a huge percentage of the population was marginalized. Second, the church was instrumental in bringing an end to apartheid. Finally, it highlights one of the critiques of postcolonial Biblical interpretation, the lack of political action because of the focus on textual politics. New Testament.

A basic definition of postcolonialism, a theory that stretches across multiple disciplines including Biblical criticism.

"An exciting collection of essays connecting postcolonialism and the Gospel of John, written by a group of international scholars, both established and new, from Hispanic, African, Jewish, Chinese, Korean and African-American backgrounds. It explores important topics such as the appropriation of John in settler communities of the United States and Canada, and the use of John in the colonization of Africa, Asia, Latin America and New Zealand." Although there are numerous readings of the text, the focus on a single Gospel will perhaps illuminate themes and concepts more easily than a collection of essays that use multiple texts.

"Professional scholars and ordinary people contribute to this book, which is written from the perspective of those in the Third World. Writing from an experience of injustice and oppression, hunger and exploitation, they explore issues of racism and sexism, class struggle and religious triumphalism." Although not explicitly focused on postcolonial criticism, I think the voices of lay people might bring some issues that postcolonial criticism addresses into sharper focus and provide a sense of what this approach to reading the text means in real lives. I have included a review of this book in the bibliography.

Examines three ways the Bible has been interpreted in Asia historically: "Orientalist," "Anglicist" and "Nativist." The table of contents indicates that the author advocates "textual cleansing" and a "postcolonial translation strategy" for the multifaith culture of Asia.

Presents an alternative approach to reading the Bible that addresses the issues and needs of women in the "two-thirds world." Extended examination of Matthew that "shows us how to read the Bible as decolonizing rather than imperialist literature."

A series of essays by a preeminent scholar in the field. This book would be a great starting place for a comprehensive look at postcolonial Biblical criticism. Includes editorial commentary that provides cohesiveness.

A leading scholar in the field examines the massive shifts in the field of Biblical criticism during the last quarter of the twentieth century. The author notes the steady process of sociopolitical (not economic) decolonization over the twentieth century and the movement into the foreground of the voices of the colonized. One reviewer suggests that the book is packed with great insights and that the writing is unnecessarily dense and difficult.

This review reflects in straightforward language the need for and goal of postcolonial criticism. It seems that the writer's faith is renewed and enlarged by this approach to reading the text.