A Seminar paper on Post-Colonialism and Theology

Submitted to Rev. Dr. M Stephen Submitted by: Renson P Jose

Introduction
Two critical categories which are at the center of current hermeneutical discussions are
post modernism and post colonialism. Post-Colonialism is emerged from people who once were
colonized by European power. Post Colonialism points the effect of Colonialism that impacted
the structures and thought and it looks forward the deconstruction in the area of history, art,
literature, Philosophy and Sociology. It challenges the colonial-imperialistic patterns of thought
and actions and made a liberative attempt to redeem them from the distorted perspective of
the west. Post colonial thought looks to what is “native” and also looks forward as it challenges
dominant, imperialistic world view.

What is Post-Colonialism?
The idea of Post Colonialism was developed in the 19th century Though political and
economic Colonialism has been dismantled to a large extent by decolonizing independent
movements in the latter half of the 20th century, its effects in the perceptual and cultural
spheres still linger post colonialism as a literary, cultural and critical practical engages these
remaining and lingering aspects of colonialism. The introduction of post colonial studies in
Biblical studies is a significant development in recent years. The first published work ‘post
colonialism and scriptural reading’ appeared in Semeia 75, (1998) edited by Laura Donaldson. It
is followed by a collection of essays in a book entitled ‘The Post Colonial Bible’ (1998) edited by
R S Sugirtharajah.
Sugirtharajah introduces Post Colonialism to Biblical studies on two basic assumptions
 Colonialism dominates and determinates the interest of the biblical text.
 The Biblical interpretations from the colonial western frame of references are
unconcerned with colonialism
Sugirthirajah treated post colonialism as a resistant discourse which tries to write back
and work against colonial assumptions, representations and ideologies. It is an oppositional
reading practice. As a literary and cultural practice, it engages and ruptures the cultural politics
of the colonist through a complex variety of affiliative-antagonistic creative cultural discourse. 1
Homi K Bhabha refers to post-colonialism as the form of social criticism that bears
witness to the unequal and uneven process of representation by which the historical
experience of the once colonized.2
The field of post colonial studies has gained currency in literary and cultural studies
since the publication of Edward Said’s influential critique of the western constructions of the
orient, including the works of a few modern biblical critics, in his book orientalism.
Current post colonial studies in literary and cultural studies is a post modern enterprise
which either recounts boom in the commercial or the discursive cultural strategies of the

1
Simon Samuel, “A Post Colonial Histeriography”, Doon Theological Journal 1/1 (January,
2004);8.
2
Padmini Mongia, ed., Contemporary Post Colonial Theory: A Reader (London: Arnold, 1997), 1.
1
‘modern’ colonial west and its ‘other’ under the aegis of Marxist or post strucuralist discourse
theories.3

Post-Colonial Theory
Post-Colonial theory emerged out of the new socio-historic pressure as it is found that
the new social movements around the issues such as race, gender and ethnicity have revealed
the limits of older conceptions about community, individuals and nation. It is a re-reading or
reinterpretation of history, methodology, theology and sources. 4 Post-colonial theological and
non-theological discourses argue for liberation from patriarchy, slavery and challenges gender-
injustice, human right, violations and different kind of oppressions.
R S Sugirthirajah propounds that post colonial Biblical interpretations emerging from the
once colonized peoples highlights the historical and cultural reality of reconstructive readings
from the perspective of colonial concerns and the dubiousness of colonialism, the effects of
colonialization and colonial ideas on interpretative works, the possibility of not only the colonial
past but also that contemporary world order in the form of globalization and neo colonializing
tendencies.5According to Ray Chow , the post-colonialist affirms the resurrection of the native
or challenging the dominant discourse by "resurrecting" the victimized voice. 6 The marginality,
third world experience, feminity, blackness, Asianess, native or indigenous expressions in
theology are holding the post-colonial character. The theology of the Subaltern or the
victimized group is post-colonial in nature as they struggle against oppressive powers.
According to Ruth Frankenberg and Lata Mani, for India, post-colonialism means independence
from Britain it refers to questioning western or white dominance by the movements of
resistance and the emergence of struggles for collective determination which is articulated in
nationalist terms.
According to Sugirthirajah, Post colonial thinking is a call to self awareness aimed at
creating an awakening among people to their indigenous literary and cultural and religious
heritage.7 It is a struggle for the historical and political presence of groups suppressed or
marginalized by colonialization and modernization. It is an oppressional category which has
come to challenge the idea of modernism and internationalism.
Post colonial theory offers a space for the one’s colonized. It is an interpretative act of
the descendance of those once subjected. It means a resurrection of marginals, the indigenous
and the subaltern. According to Musa W Dube, “Post colonial theories emanated from the rise
of western empires in the eighteenth through the twentieth century, their scramble to divide
the world among themselves, the strategies of subjugation and resistance engendered by
colonialism, and the chain reactions that have been in motion ever since. 8

3
Simon Samuel, “Post Colonialism as a critical practice in Biblical studies”, Doon theological
journal 2/2 (July, 2005); 99.
4
Ibid., 5.
5
L Jayachitra, “A Post colonial feminist interpretation: Mary Magdalene and Canonization”,
Bangalore Theological Forum 38/1 (June, 2006): 94.
6
Mongia, Op.Cit., 129.
7
R S Sugirtharajah, The Bible and the third World (Cambridge: Cambridge university Press, 2001),
177.
8
Laura E Donaldson and Kwok Puilan, eds., Post Colonialism, Feminism and Religious Discourses
(New York: Rutledge, 2002), 100.
2
Post Colonial Feminism
Post Colonial feminism points to the impact of western imperialism on women’s
identity, formation in their particular socio-cultural locations. Three issues are identified in post
colonial feminist discourse. Firstly, male centered post colonial overlooks gender differences
and women’s concerns. Secondly, feminist of developing countries in solidarity with male
counterpart question the male colonial tendencies of Biblical scholarship from the developed
world. Thirdly, developing world feminists have complained that the developed world feminists
have over looked the colonial contexts of biblical texts and compromised with colonial agenda
embedded in them.9 According to Dube, Post-Colonial feminism displays a number of
recognizable strategies and concerns in their decolonizing and depatriarchalizing process. She
was conscious of the colonial forces which subjugated and silenced the women. 10 She asserts
that a decolonizing feminist practices also must show how international dominion renders
women of former colonies politically invisible, economically impoverished and culturally
suppressed while it highlights diverse way of resistance and liberation. Muse W Dube also
insists that post-colonial feminist strategies must confront oppressive aspects in one’s own
indigenous systems of gender oppressive practices such as genital mutilation and Sati are to be
rejected. Post-colonial ideology questions the colonization of women’s bodies especially the
black and other marginated women which began in slavery. Post colonialism questions the
discrimination in the name of gender or race.11

Post Colonial Criticisms

As a critical practice it examines the complexities and conundrums of the discourses that
emanate from the colonized and dominated in a colonial or post colonial context. Moore
Gilbert says as a critical reading practice, its theoretical roots are stretched to classical and
revisionist cultural materialism and feminism theories.
Sugirtharajah wants a post Colonial criticism to:
 Open a new era of academic inquiry which brings to the force the overlapping
issue of empire, nation and language.
 Scrutinize the colonial domination embedded in biblical text.
 Overturn colonial assumption inherent in western interpretations.
 Search for alternative hermeneutics.
 Interpret the text in our own terms.
The task of the post colonial criticism according to Sugirthirajah is to engage in reconstructive
reading of biblical texts. In his word, “Post colonial reading will re-read biblical texts from the
perspective of post colonial concerns such as liberation, struggles of the past and present; it will
be sensitive to subaltern and feminine elements embedded in texts.” Post Colonial critiques in
their reconstructive reading of the texts highlights the struggles and resistance in different
colonial context, lift up the voice of subaltern. 12Another task of post colonial criticism is to
interrogate both colonial and metropolitan interpretations. Its aim is to draw attention to the
inescapable effects of colonization and colonial ideologies. 13 Simon Samuel suggest that Post
9
Jayachitra, Op.Cit., 95.
10
Donaldson, Op.Cit., 115.
11
Ibid., 182.
12
Jayachitra, Op.Cit.,
13
Donaldson, Op.Cit., 253.
3
colonialism as a theoretical concept can be applied to reading the biblical texts as most of these
are originated in various colonial contexts and from among the colonized subject
communities.14Following questions are important for post colonial biblical criticism, who has
the power to interpret? Who controls the meaning?

Evaluation and conclusion

Post colonial theology is people oriented. It upholds the struggles of the oppressed
against the elites or dominant class and the colonizers. Post colonial theology is concerned of
the marginalized or subaltern such as poor, women, blacks, Dalits, and tribals. It rereads the
scripture in the light of the aspirations of the victimized and gives importance to the indigenous
resources. The task of post colonialism is to ensure that the yearnings of the poor take
precedence over the interests of the affluent; the emancipation of the subjugated has primacy
over the freedom of the powerful and the participation of the marginalized takes priority over
the perpetuation of the system which systematically excludes them. Post colonial criticisms
recognize that interpreters have to be freed from traditional interpretative powers so that the
voice of the voiceless may be heard. It recognizes multiplicity of meanings and tries to bring
elements related to marginals embedded in the texts.

Bibliography
Donaldson, Laura E and Kwok Puilan, eds. Post Colonialism, Feminism and Religious Discourses. New
York: Rutledge, 2002.
Mongia, Padmini. ed. Contemporary Post Colonial Theory: A Reader. London: Arnold, 1997.
Samuel, Simon. “A Post Colonial Histeriography”, Doon Theological Journal 1/1 (January, 2004): 5-19.
Samuel, Simon. “Post Colonialism as a critical practice in Biblical studies”, Doon theological journal 2/2
(July, 2005); 97-119.
Sugirtharajah, R S. The Bible and the third World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
Stephen, M. New Trends in Christian Theology. New Delhi: Serials Pub, 2009.

14
Samuel,Post colonialism,Op.Cit.,95.
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