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The main question of this book, which focuses on the role of the Old Testament in the South African context, is: If reread from an African liberationist perspective in the context of land redistribution and socio-economic justice in South Africa, could the Israelite Jubilee legislation in Leviticus 25:8-55 offer liberating and empowering possibilities for the poor in South Africa? The exegesis of Leviticus 25:8-55 in which the historical-critical method is employed lays the foundation for the contextualisation of the issues arising from the exegesis. Furthermore, within the African liberationist framework, the South African context serves as a lens to interpret Leviticus 25:8-55. The striking parallels between the contexts from which the text of Leviticus 25:8-55 emerged and the context of the modern reader of the Bible in South Africa are shown. In the end, it is argued that when re-read from an African liberationist perspective and in the context of the land redistribution and socio-economic justice discourse, Leviticus 25:8-55 can contribute positively to the redress of inequality and consequently to poverty alleviation in South Africa.
List of contents
List of Tables - Acknowledgements - List of Abbreviations - Introduction - A Critique of Socio-Economic Injustice and Land Ownership in South Africa - Land and Socio-Economic Policy: Analysis of the Israelite Jubilee Legislation In Leviticus 25:8-55 - An African Liberationist Reading of Leviticus 25:8-55 - Conclusion - Index of Authors - Index of Subjects.
About the author
Ndikho Mtshiselwa is Associate Professor of the Old Testament in the Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies at the University of South Africa. He holds a doctoral degree from the University of South Africa. His area of research is the Old Testament (Pentateuch).
Summary
This book argues that when re-read from an African liberationist perspective and in the context of the land redistribution and socio-economic justice discourse, Leviticus 25:8-55 can contribute positively to the redress of inequality and consequently to poverty alleviation in South Africa.
Report
"The question of the land and of land ownership is a crucial issue in the Hebrew Bible, and also in many modern societies. Ndikho Mtshiselwa contributes to this debate by a careful examination of Leviticus 25, one of the most important biblical text about the question of justice and land. This book offers a very challenging combination of a socio-historical reading of the chapter in its original context and an analysis of this chapter in the context of the present South African society. A must read for every scholar and student interested in contextual reading that is informed by serious historical-critical scholarship."-Thomas Römer, Chaire "Milieux bibliques," Vice-Administrateur Collège de France; Professor, Faculty of Theology and Sciences of Religion, University of Lausanne
