SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES ON THE COMPARATIVE PARADIGM IN (SOUTH) AFRICAN BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP

Abstract The comparative paradigmisthemostpervasiveinterpretive framework in Africanbiblical scholarship.Recent work hasattempted to chart the contours of this paradigm and tonote its historicalandhermeneutical development.This articlejoinsthediscussion, by locating SouthAfricanbiblicalscholarshipwithinthis paradigm and by offering an analysis of the comparativeparadigm interms ofits understandingof colonialism.The argument put forwardisthat amore nuancedand complexunderstandingof colonialism may provide new angles of analysis both of the comparative paradigm itself and of the task of African biblical scholarship.