Biblical Hermeneutics of Liberation in the South African Context from a ‘Suspicious Interpreter’ to a ‘Suspicious Text’

Is the Bible an ally or a danger in the task of Liberation Hermeneutics? One of the most important discussions within Liberation Hermeneutics is that of the role and status of the Bible in the interpretive exercise that looks for the emancipation and freedom of marginalized and oppressed groups. This chapter describes how this task has been embraced in Black South African Liberation Hermeneutics, a trajectory whose scholars claim to be responsible to the field of Biblical Studies while accountable to the struggles of the marginalized and oppressed. The text will analyze and focus on the discussions about the ideological dimension of knowledge, the socio-historical context where Liberation Hermeneutics emerges, and the role of the Bible as an ‘ally’ or ‘danger’ within a liberating reading, highlighting these three elements as fundamental in the contribution of South African liberation hermeneutics to biblical interpretation.