The purpose of this study is to consider how Ezra-Nehemiah can be used as a new paradigm in the search for an African theology of renewal, transformation and reconstruction. Thus, the purpose of this study is to consider how Ezra-Nehemiah can be used as a new paradigm in the search for an African theology of renewal, transfoliation, reconciliation and reconstruction.
Hypothesis
Methodolo2Y
The focus here is on the possible authors of Ezra-Nehemiah and the possible dates of several phases of the composition of this book. Finally, chapter 6 outlines the implications of a critical analysis of the Ezra-Nehemiah text for a theology of renewal, transformation, reconciliation, and reconstruction.
INTRODUCTION
PAN-AFRICANISM
The Pan-African 2atherin2s 1900-1994
- The Pan-African Conference of 1900
- The First Pan-African Con2ress of 1919
- The Second Pan-African Con2ress of 1921
- The Third Pan-African Con2ress of 1923
- The Fourth Pan-African Con2ress of 1927
- The Fifth Pan-African Conl:ress of 1945
- The All-African People's Conferences: Towards the OAU
- Nkrumah's ideolo2Y
- The Sixth Pan-African Con2ress of 1974
- Conclusion
According to Nkrumah, one of the biggest obstacles to Africa's development was neo-colonialism. And this makes the proper cultural education of the African the most important factor in the strategy of African cultural development (Hagan, 1993:21).
AFRICAN RENAISSANCE
The relationship between Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance
Mbeki's call for an African Renaissance follows the election of South Africa's first democratic government. Mbeki's call for an African Renaissance is a response to the socio-economic and political conditions of the African continent.
Components of the African Renaissance
- Introduction
- Economic Renaissance
- Cultural Renaissance
- Moral renewal and African values
Mbeki further believes that economic growth is closely linked to the transformation of the economy. So, according to Mbeki, economic growth is a necessity for the realization of the African renaissance. Mbeki goes on to outline what he believes to be the main goals of the economic system within the framework of the African renaissance.
Mbeki here assumes that it is only democratic governments that can contribute to the realization of the African Renaissance. Consequently, Mbeki considers it one of the priorities of the renewal of our continent to eradicate.
Critique of African Renaissance
CONCLUSION
Therefore, the African renaissance is about the renewal, transformation and reconstruction of the African continent in order to effectively address the above conditions. It is within this theoretical framework of renewal, transformation and reconstruction, provided by both Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance, that the theology of reconstruction fits. As we will see in Chapter 2, the goal of Reconstructionist theology, championed by its pioneer, Jesse Mugambi, is to address the current religious, cultural and socio-economic conditions facing the African continent.
This is an attempt by theologians to give a theological backing to the process of reconstruction and transformation of the African continent, especially after the end of apartheid and colonialism in Africa. Thus, we can summarize by declaring that Reconstruction theology is the specifically theological articulation of the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.
EZRA-NEHEMIAH AND THE QUEST FORAN AFRICAN THEOLOGY OF RECONSTRUCTION RECONSTRUCTION
Purpose
Methodolo2Y
- Liberation theolo2Y
- Components of a theolo2Y of reconstruction
- Analysis
- Theory
- Interdisciplinary
- Inter-faith dia)o2ue
- Open-ended
- Constructive
- The tasks of reconstruction theolo2Y
- Gender and race
- Cultural empowerment
- Post-exilic metaphor
- Ezra-Nehemiah
- Maluleke and Pityana's critique of Villa-Vicencio's reconstruction theolo2Y
- Summary
Villa-Vicencio argues that theology plays a role in promoting human rights in Africa and in the world (Villa-Vicencio. Thus, Villa-Vicencio sees the role of the gospel as a commitment and critique to social structures. What appears to inform or guide Villa-Vicencio's reconstruction theology is the context of the poor.
Sixth, Villa-Vicencio maintains that reconstruction theology must be constructive in its criticism of the existing structures. Accordingly, Villa-Vicencio explores the role of Reconstruction theology in terms of gender and race.
- Introduction
- Liberation theolo2Y
- Liberation and salvation
- MUl:ambi critiques liberation theol0I:Y
- Socio-political reconstruction
- Maluleke's critique of MUl:ambi
Mugambi states that the ideological configuration of the Mediterranean region during the Exodus period is very different from that of Africa in the twentieth century (Mugambi, 1995: 14). Mugambi believes that in each of these components, reconstruction is necessary from time to time, to ensure that social structures are well adapted to the needs of the people (Mugambi, 1995: 17). Furthermore, Mugambi believes that the role of world confessional families in fostering or hindering what he calls "the appropriation of the Gospel" with African cultural and religious heritage will come under careful scrutiny in the twenty-first century (Mugambi, 1995:43). .
Nehemiah's role as director of the reconstruction project is clearly explained in the book that bears his name. Like Villa-Vicencio, Mugambi does not do a sociological analysis of the texts he mentions as a possible basis for a reconstruction theology.
KARAMAGA, A 1997: THEOLOGY OF RECONSTRUCTION
- His use of Nehemiah
- Critiques of Karama2a
In the next section we examine Karamaga's use of Ezra-Nehemiah in his search for a reconstruction theology. Like Villa-Vicencio and Mugambi, Karamaga sees Nehemia as a proper role model for reconstruction theology. Let us make the following comments about Karamaga's use of Ezra-Nehemiah and about his reconstruction theology.
Unlike Villa-Vicencio and Mugambi, Karamaga's definition and methodology of his reconstruction theology have not been clearly spelled out. He does not read the text thoroughly to make it a strong foundation for his reconstruction theology.
CONCLUSION
But we also noted that their approach to Reconstruction theology or to the use of Ezra-Nehemiah is not based on a solid literary or socio-historical analysis of the text of Ezra-Nehemiah. The crux of our argument in this section is not to say that the readings of Villa-Vicencio, Mugambi, and Karamaga of the Ezra-Nehemiah text are wrong. After highlighting certain aspects of the three scholars' use of Ezra-Nehemiah in a theology of.
Similarly, liberation theology would focus on the word of God addressing the plight of the poor in the context of oppression and exploitation. Do we really have to abandon the subject of liberation in pursuit of the ideal of rebuilding Africa.
INTRODUCTION
In the next subsection, we argue that the three African scholars discussed in Chapter 2 do not recognize the ideology in Ezra-Nehemiah.
VILLA-VICENCIO, MUGAMBI AND KARAMAGA HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED THE IDEOLOGY OF THE TEXT OF EZRA-NEHEMIAH IDEOLOGY OF THE TEXT OF EZRA-NEHEMIAH
After briefly stating that Villa-Vicencio, Mugambi and Karamaga in their use of Ezra-Nehemiah do not identify the dominant ideology embedded in this text, in the next section we will demonstrate that the Ezra-Nehemiah text is ideologically biased in favor of the returned exiles, while it is against am haaretz.
THE EZRA-NEHEMIAH TEXT IS IDEOLOGY BIASED AGAINST THE AM HAARETZ
Let us briefly examine the circumstances surrounding these exclusions of am haaretz from returning exiles. Apparently, Zerubbabel and Yeshua, the leaders of the returned exiles at that time and the elders (Ezra 4:3), rejected the offer of the people of the land to participate in the rebuilding process. We also note further that the opposition to the exclusion of am Ha'aretz by Nehemiah was also joined by the prophetess Noadiah (Neh. 6:1-14).
In Ezra-Nehemiah there are prophets on both sides of the conflict between am Haaretz and The. Let us then briefly examine this Persian legitimization of the success of the returned exiles' efforts.
MOSALA'S ANALYSIS OF IDEOLOGY
Consequently, Mosala argues that the idea of the Bible as "the revealed Word of God" leads to a false idea of the Bible as non-ideological. I believe that the category of struggle offers the lens for reading the text in a liberating way as well as the codes for unlocking the possibilities and limitations of the biblical texts (Mosala, 1989:8). We must, however, Mosala argues, use a socio-historical materialist method of interpretation to identify the ideology of the text.
What is the ideological-spiritual agenda of the text, i.e. how does the text itself seek to be understood. With the identification of this environment, Mosala then moves on to a historical-materialist analysis of the text (West, 1995:72).
CONCLUSION
We have shown earlier that the Ezra-Nehemiah text has a particular ideological bias in favor of the returned exiles, but against the am haaretz. Furthermore, Mosala's hermeneutics, like the hermeneutics suggested by our study of the text of Ezra-Nehemiah, is African, in that it takes seriously the African experience (culture, history etc.) of colonial exploitation and the role of capitalism in our context record. Such a reading of the text is insensitive to the fate of the am haaretz and dangerous to our appropriation of this text.
Our study of the text of Ezra-Nehemiah takes seriously the fact that this text is not neutral, it is embedded in an ideological world of its author, which suppresses and suppresses the voice of the marginalized group, namely the am haaretz . Having identified and begun to analyze the ideology of Ezra-Nehemiah, we want to get behind such an ideology, by doing a sociological analysis of the world that produced the Ezra-Nehemiah text (chapter 5).
COMPOSITION AND DATE
INTRODUCTION
- Methodolo2Y
Second, we will focus on the question of the possible dates of Ezra's and Nehemiah's arrival in Palestine. Once the possible dates of Ezra's and Nehemiah's arrival have been suggested, we would be in a better position to suggest some possible dates for the composition of Ezra-Nehemiah.
COMPOSITION / AUTHORSHIP
- Introduction
- The Chronicler was the author of both Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah
- Critique of Chronicler as the common author
- Layers of composition
- Final composition
- Unknown author
In the aforementioned discussions, we concluded that Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles are not the works of the same author. The text of Ezra-Nehemiah is about the return of the exiles to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity. In light of the above four arguments, we would conclude that Ezra-Nehemiah was compiled by the same author.
Let us now summarize the process of final editing of the text of Ezra-Nehemiah. Thirdly, he takes the historicity (although we know that historicity and authorship are separate matters) of the text of Ezra-Nehemiah at face value, i.e.
DATE
- Ezra arrived in 458 B.C., before Nehemiah (445 B.C.)
- Nehemiah arrived in 445 B.C., while Ezra arrived in 398 B.C
- Nehemiah arrived in 445 B.C., with Ezra arrivin2 in 438 B.C
- Evaluation of three possibilities
- Conclusion
- Date of composition of final book
The historical presupposition of the "traditional order" focuses on the identity of the Persian king Artaxerxes, who is mentioned in both the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The problem is that it presupposes a total rearrangement of the material of Ezra 7-10 and all of Nehemiah (Fensham, 1982:8). We should note here, however, that the strengths and weaknesses of this theory are similar to those of the "return order".
For nearly a century, Nehemiah was believed by both reverse and intermediate order proponents to have preceded Ezra to Jerusalem. We will therefore accept in this study the following views regarding the composition of the text of Ezra-Nehemiah.
CONCLUSION
SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
- Methodolo2Y
