![]() ![]() ![]() Another aspect is that the text is dissected and fragmented thus eroding its unity. In other words, the text contains archaic information concerning the origin of language that is viewed as mythical by the modern reader. The highly complex rationalistic methods that are used, may reduce the text to a pre-modern artifact that succumbs to the superiority of modern science and rationalism. Scholars interpreting the Tower of Babel narrative from this paradigm, like Driver (1909) and Colenso (1863) (from the South African context), focus on issues like the incompatibility between the mythical assertions made in the text regarding the origin of languages and knowledge from modern scientific studies of language. Historical perspectives develop from historical questions that focus on the sources 5 used to construct the text, the literary form 6 and sitz im leben of the text. This is reflected in the methodologies or systems of questions used by scholars like historical -, structural -, literary -, and post-structural modes of interpretation. The influence of rationalism is clear from the structured questions that modern scholars ask when interpreting the Tower of Babel narrative. The implication is that rationalism in scholarship may collude with oppressive views that can seriously undermine the ethical responsibility of biblical scholars by means of exclusion (Schüssler-Fiorenza 1988:14, Dube 2002:55). Thus, limiting, neglecting and silencing aspects of reality that do not fit into the logical system (Dube 1996:115 West 1999:12). The rational system is constructed by the formation of a logical connection between aspects of reality that are aligned to a particular ontology. This process of systematic structuring may lead to reductionism because it reduces reality and frames a particular aspect of reality. Rationalism is reflected in the systematic questions that constitute theories and methodologies of interpretation (Said 1994 Taylor 2003:1-13). The influence of rationalism on scholarship from the African context is probably rooted in the rational underpinning of modern scholarly training. The problem is that some of these new perspectives are influenced by rationalism 3 that may result in reductionist 4 interpretations of the Tower of Babel narrative. These unique questions relate to the cultures of African people (that are mostly holistic), the injustice of colonialism, apartheid and so forth. Sleutelwoorde: Genesis 11:1-9, Afrika Hermeneutiek, Rasionalisme, Etiek, Kultuurīiblical scholarship from the African context 1 provides the possibility of new and creative perspectives for the interpretation of the Tower of Babel narrative 2 because of unique questions that people from the African context ask when interpreting the Bible. Key words: Genesis 11:1-9, African Hermeneutics, Rationalism, Ethics, Culture The art of Azaria Mbatha will be used to illustrate the potential of this contemporary move. The contemporary move among some biblical scholars from the African context that focus on the interaction between scholarly and non-scholarly interpreters of the Bible is an attempt to address the problems associated with rationalism. This is clear in the African cultural hermeneutics of Solomon Avotri and Black African hermeneutics of emeritus arch-bishop Desmond Tutu. The problem is that some of these new perspectives are influenced by rationalism that may result in reductionist interpretations of the Tower of Babel narrative. These unique questions relate to the cultures of African people, the injustice of colonialism, apartheid and so forth. North-West University, E-mail: scholarship from the African context provides possible new and creative perspectives for the interpretation of the Tower of Babel narrative because of uniquely African questions that structure the interpretative process. Interpretations of the Tower of Babel narrative in the African contextĭr. ![]()
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