John Legend, Jollof and Jesus- On Decolonizing Our Approach To Bible Study

Colonized Cerebrums

How can you know if you have a colonized interpretation of the Bible?

• You use the Bible to undergird Eurocentric notions/standards of etiquette and manners.

• You render non-Western culture as irrelevant and irredeemable and thus unable to communicate Christian truth and reality without your missional influence.

• You find that the people of color in your sphere have become increasingly socialized (whether physically or mentally) out of their cultural context.

• You find yourself spiritualizing history and, more particularly, the outcomes of war/genocide/oppression. God is on "our" side, which implies those who are against or resist "us" are against and resisting God.

• You elevate written record, intellect, and academia over oral tradition, narrative, and reflection.

If you checked one or more, it's okay--so did I; it just means we’ve got work to do and here's why:

Eurocentric methods, modes, and interpretation in biblical and theological studies lead to Eurocentric frameworks. E…