An updated version of a listing which was first published in 1993. The present version, published 2000, is a landmark bibliography on works of biblical interpretation produced by Africans, for Africa, or about African interpretation.
Description
"This bibliography is an updated version of a listing which was first published in 1993. The present version is an attempt to list all known works of biblical interpretation produced by Africans, for Africa, or about African interpretation."
"Included in this version is a listing of book reviews and abstracts which have appeared in various publications describing many of the works listed here. The listing of reviews and abstracts may prove to be especially helpful in cases where it is difficult to acquire a copy of the original essay or book. Although this work has the purpose of being comprehensive, it is probable that I have missed numerous items which should be included in this list. I wish to apologize to any whose works have escaped my attention."
"The bibliography is divided into five sections. Section one lists bibliographical sources. Some of these sources are periodical publications which should be consulted for future contributions to the growing corpus of works of African exegesis. Although there are few annotations in other parts of the bibliography, this section is quite thoroughly annotated. The second section is entitled 'Studies of the Use of the Bible in Africa / Hermeneutics.' Works in this section elucidate various aspects of biblical interpretation in Africa, especially the relationship between culture and interpretation. The third section lists works on 'Africa and Africans in the Bible.' Since this division of the bibliography deals with texts which have received extensive treatment from non-Africans, many more works could have been listed I have included only those publications written by Africans (including Africans of the ‘diaspora’) and any others who focus on the ‘Africanness’ of the texts in question. The section on 'Exegetical and Thematic Studies' is the longest. It includes any essay or book which does not fit into another category of the bibliography and which has a biblical passage or theme as its primary focus. Section five lists works which focus on the special subject of 'Bible Translation in Africa.' Sections six and seven list homiletical/devotional materials and educational materials respectively. Since many of these works are locally published these sections are probably the least comprehensive. It is important to note them here, however, since they give important evidence of the ways in which ordinary Africans understand and use the Bible. The final section is on 'South African Exegesis.' The history Christianity in South Africa has given rise to particular issues and concerns and it was felt best to keep most of these South African materials in a separate section. This section is not hermetically sealed, however, and some works from South Africa can be found in other divisions of the bibliography."
Notes
A landmark bibliography on African hermeneutics, interpretation and translation published in 2000. A copy of the bibliography is freely downloadable from the Uploads Page of the Trinity School for Ministry.