Theologies Of Liberation And Reconstruction

Book Overview

"These essays lay it open for us to listen to Professor Jesse Mugambi and let him share his thought provoking insights. One of the areas in which he has pioneered theological discussion, is in the paradigm shift from the theology of liberation to the theology of reconstruction. Several essays address this question, or refer to it. That is only right and perhaps necessary, since the theology of reconstruction has not generated the kind of excitement and heat that liberation theology did in its heyday. The two theological directions may be related, but their emphases and directions do not need to be the same."
John S. Mbiti, Professor Emeritus, University of Bern, Switzerland.

"Reconstruction is what New Testament scholarship is all about. Indeed, the New Testament itself is the result of reconstruction. The text of the Greek New Testament has been reconstructed from thousands of manuscripts and fragments of manuscripts, a process that still continues. The same is true of the Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible. The history of early Christianity must be reconstructed from widely scattered pieces of information and tradition found in the sources. The theologies of Paul and the authors of the Gospels and Acts must be reconstructed by critical analysis of the sources. Much of their meaning has been obscured by thick layers of later traditionalism and needs to be excavated to bring the original contours into focus."
Hans-Dieter Betz, Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago, USA.

“We owe much to Professor Jesse Mugambi for his patient insistence that our task as biblical scholars is not to create an exclusive society that would include only those biblical interpreters with "authorised" interpretations – even if these are liberationist interpretations – but to work in the midst of interpretive ruins towards the creation of a new, inclusive society of biblical interpreters who, within the same space of biblical interpretations, will pursue reconstruction, as they avoid the destructive trends."
Daniel M. Patte, Professor of Biblical Studies, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA.

"Although he may have not engaged all inculturation and liberation theologians in his call for a paradigm shift from liberation/inculturation to reconstruction, Professor Jesse Mugambi does discuss both these theologies before calling for a paradigm shift from them."
Elelwani B. Farisani, Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, University of South Africa.

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