Scripturalizing Revelation
Subtitle: an African American postcolonial reading of empire
By: Lynne St. Clair Darden
Series: Semeia studies -- Number 80
Publisher: SBL Press
Published: 2015
Place of publication: Atlanta
Language: eng
Number of pages: 194
ISBN-13: 9781628370881; 9781628370874; 9781628370898
Subjects: Black interpretations; Bible; Postcolonial theology; Postcolonial criticism; Black theology
Description: A fresh contribution to the growing body of New Testament scholarship on empire, both ancient and modern. Darden’s reading of Revelation examines John the Seer’s rhetorical strategy, in general, and imperial cult imagery in chapters 4 and 5, in particular, through the lens of an African American scripturalization supplemented by postcolonial theory. The scripturalization proposes that John the Seer’s signifyin(g) on empire demonstrated that he was well aware of the oppressive nature of Roman imperialism on the lives of provincial Asian Christians. Yet, ironically, John reinscribed imperial processes and practices. Darden argues that African American biblical scholarship must now attend adequately to these complex cultural negotiations lest it find itself inadvertently feeding the imperial beast. Features: 1)Relates the potential for African American cooption by the U.S. Empire to the cooption by the Roman Empire both thematized and performed in Revelation. 2)Book-length study on postcolonial African American biblical hermeneutics. 3)A reading supplemented by postcolonial theory that better addresses the hybridity of African American identity. (Publisher).
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 163-187) and index.