Luke and the margins: A South African anti-imperial perspective
Résumé
The Gospel of Luke offers profound resonance with the pressing socio-economic realities confronting marginalised communities in contemporary South Africa. Although set in a vastly different historical and cultural context, Luke’s narrative portrays a society where a small elite controlled land and resources. At the same time, most of the population endured extreme poverty, debt, and a lack of access to productive land. This situation parallels the struggles of impoverished and landless individuals in contemporary South Africa, a country facing a complex interplay of governance issues. These include corruption, political interference, a lack of accountability and public participation, as well as structural challenges such as resource constraints, inadequate infrastructure, and capacity limitations. The enduring legacies of apartheid, urban-rural divides, and socio-economic inequalities continue to hinder development and service delivery, while obstructing the vision of a better life for all. This scenario is reminiscent of the 1st-century Roman Palestinian context, where a combination of political domination, economic oppression, and corrupt leadership marginalised ordinary citizens and perpetuated their poverty. Thus, the Gospel of Luke provides a valuable lens through which to examine both the legacies of colonial rule in 1st-century Palestine and the colonial and apartheid legacies left by the Dutch and British settlers in South Africa.Contribution: This article reflects on the legacies of colonialism in 1st-century Palestine, juxtaposing these legacies with those of post-colonial and post-1994 democratic South Africa, positing Luke’s Gospel as a hopeful text to the marginalised communities in both situations.
Citer ce document
Accès au document
Texte intégral en lecture en ligne, réservé aux abonnés SPHAERO et aux membres de l'institution. Se connecter
Voir l'article sur le site de la revueAuteur(s)
Statistiques
Consultations : 1
Téléchargements : 0