This international symposium has been necessitated by the observation that in many African countries the Bible has played and continues to play a huge role in everyday politics, unlike in contemporary Europe. This is despite the fact that Christianity in most African countries was planted by European missionaries who came from an environment where the Bible was also central but maybe not anymore.

In many discussions, multiple and sometimes contradictory biblical interpretations have been cited as part of the reasons for many conflicts in various countries. Non-theologians in Africa are using the Bible sometimes as a political “handbook”, which is the challenge for biblical scholars.

Three questions are considered central to this symposium:

• How and why does the Bible become central in governance issues in African nations?
• How did Europe negotiate its way from a Christian continent to a Secular continent?
• How did this change affect the import of the Bible in Europe? What is the role of biblical scholars within such a context?

These questions are raised in a context where the majority of people in Africa yearn for freedom, dignity and democracy. This symposium is the first of attempts at forging greater cooperation between Western biblical scholars and their African counterparts.

LEHRSTUHL, NEUES TESTAMENT

An der Universität 2, 96047 Bamberg

Tel. +49 (0)951 _ 863-1710, Fax +49 (0)951 _ 863-4728

joachim.kuegler@online.de, ragies.gunda@uni-bamberg.de 

Four major themes have been suggested for this symposium and are as follows:

Most authoritarian/dictatorships tend to use religious traditions to justify and legitimize their reigns. Biblical themes would naturally be among the many religious traditions and themes used by such regimes. It is our observation that there appears to be greater affinities and direct predilections for traditions such as the Davidic/Solomonic traditions of the Old Testament as well as the Messianic texts of the New Testament. These appear to be bases for the rise of “messianic-kingship” concepts of rulership in some countries, such that democratic reforms appear to be cosmetic touch-ups to stabilise these neo-monarchic establishments. How can biblical science contribute towards the establishment of plurality and democracy in such a context? Is the Bible a relevant tool in the quest for engendering plurality?

The HIV and AIDS pandemic continue to be the single most challenging “problem” for many African nations. Not only is this a health challenge, it has transformed itself over the decades to be multi-faceted challenge demanding action from all sectors of human life. The general categorising of sexuality as taboo in most African nations has not helped in dealing with this pandemic. That this taboo has also been grounded in biblical injunctions has only worsened the risk factors. Women and young girls have been by far the worst affected. How can a biblically inspired Sexual ethic that is conscious of the challenge of HIV and AIDS be developed? How have the gender roles of men and women to be changed? And what can biblical scholars do in that regard?

War, civil war and violence in all shapes and forms have become part of many Africans’ lives. Children, orphans, women, widows, the weak and the stranger have all become fodder for the violent lot in many African countries. What role do the biblical violent traditions play in this contemporary violent tradition in Africa? Which role can the Bible and biblical science play towards the establishment of violence free communities, including the processes of violence cessation? What are the lessons to be drawn from Europe’s centuries of religious wars?

The “poor” appear to be the particular addressees and concern of God in the biblical traditions. Questions have been raised about the meaning of the “poor” in biblical texts and this has become even more important within the African context. How should the concept of “poverty” be understood in contemporary Africa? How should one reconcile the reality of material poverty and the “Gospel of Prosperity” raging through Africa? How should biblical science contribute in the search for understanding of poverty in an African context?

Papers are therefore invited for presentation and discussion at this international symposium. It would be appreciated if papers focused on one of the above panel themes, even though cross-panel papers will be accepted. The deadline for submitting abstracts for this symposium is 30 November 2009. Full symposium papers would then be submitted by 30 June 2010 for circulation to symposium participants. Please spread this invitation to your colleagues and friends that might be interested in this project.

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