93 - Liberating Exegesis: The Challenge of Liberation Theology to Biblical Studies

Liberating Exegesis: The Challenge of Liberation Theology to Biblical Studies

By Christopher Rowland and Mark Comer

Louisville, Westminster/John Knox Press, 1989. 205 Pp. $14.95.

Two British scholars have teamed together to produce this book, originally published in Great Britain in the series, Biblical Foundations in Theology. In the introduction, the authors state that they do not attempt a "systematic exploration" of how liberation theologians use the Bible. Yet the results yield more than a casual presentation of how the Bible and liberation theology have met in interpretation. This book is an adroit attempt to bring theory and praxis of biblical interpretation among liberation theologians to a broader audience. The enterprise is largely successful.

Five chapters comprise the book. Interestingly, the authors choose to present the praxis before the theory, perhaps mirroring good, but all too infrequently used, liberation methodology. The first chapter lays out a contemporary interpretation of the parables of Jesus, ostensibly because "the parable represents the form in which much of Jesus' teaching was encapsulated." The chapter includes a set of pictures representing slides of contemporary "parables" used in a Basic Christian Community in Brazil, followed by an interpretation of two parables (Matt 20:1-16 and Luke 16:19-31). The purpose is to demonstrate the relationship between the parabolic method of teaching used by Jesus and its application to everyday life.

The second chapter outlines the theoretical underpinnings of liberation exegesis. It brings into conversation positions representing traditional historical-critical method (R. Bultmann, G. von Rad, etc.) with those of liberation theologians (for example, C. Boff, F. Belo, J. Miranda, and others) who attempt to interpret the Bible, not as ancient history, but as contemporary commentary.

The remainder of the book tries to tease out of this practical and theoretical background the implications of such a methodological approach. Chapter 3 analyzes a "political" reading of the Gospel of Mark, while the fourth chapter explores the rediscovery of the Book of Revelation as a resource for hope. The final chapter argues strongly that liberation theology needs to be a First World phenomenon, not relegated to obscurity in the Third World.

The strengths of the book are many. It is cogently argued, balanced in presentation, and ecumenical in perspective. It is not a naive defense of what some might perceive as an overly simplistic, uncritical approach to the Bible. Nor does it ignore serious challenges to liberation theology. Rather, it offers a plausible defense of what a liberation theology perspective can bring to exegesis, based on the premise of God's fundamental "option for the poor." The orientation of the book is sufficiently sophisticated to promote further scholarly discussion, yet lucid

94 - Liberating Exegesis: The Challenge of Liberation Theology to Biblical Studies

enough to provide a sensitive introduction to liberation exegesis for those with little background. Indexes of biblical references and names and subjects round out its usefulness for student, pastor, and scholar alike.

Some telling weaknesses are nonetheless apparent. The most obvious one is the explicit British orientation of the examples employed by the authors, supplemented by illustrations from South America and South Africa. Many American readers may feel uneasy and unfamiliar with comparisons made to the economic and political situation in Great Britain. With the exception of one extended passage on American economics, the examples are all about the British scene.

Another more substantive weakness concerns hermeneutics. Rowland and Corner admit that there is a tendency among liberation theologians to work with "a canon within the canon," yet they offer no adequate alternative or corrective. What does one do with sections of the Bible not so amenable to interpretations from a liberation theology perspective (for example, Wisdom literature)? One could also question why it is essential to begin with the parables of Jesus. Though parables present a unique aspect of the teaching of Jesus, what is their relation to other teaching sections of the Gospels, such as discourses and sayings? How does one assert that parables are universal in application, and yet avoid trivializing them into moralistic stories? The authors wisely recognize that liberation theology does not provide the hermeneutical key which unlocks the Bible, but they do not make it clear what advantages such an exegetical method entails in contemporizing the biblical message. This is to suggest that as many hermeneutical issues are left unresolved by their analysis as are addressed.

In the end, the strengths of this book clearly outweigh the weaknesses. Rowland and Corner have provided a solid introduction to "liberating exegesis." Their call for the First World to enter into such exegesis is a reminder of how small the world really has become, and what we in the First World can learn from other perspectives. If one can avoid the pitfalls often associated with an uncritical acceptance of newer exegetical methods, as this book strives to demonstrate is possible, then all who seek to understand the biblical text in a modern context may be enriched.

RONALD D.WITHERUP, S.S.

St. Patrick's Seminary
Menlo Park, California