Conversations in context: cross-cultural (grassroots) biblical interpretation groups challenging Western-centric (professional) biblical interpretation

Abstract

This article considers how biblical scholarship might break out of its Western-dominated, largely historical-critical mould. I argue that we might challenge the hegemony of ‘Western Worldview’ scholarship by capitalising on the interpretative insights of alternative worldviews; in that regard, I advance a cross-cultural methodology. Additionally, I advocate engaging with grassroots interpreters, thereby contributing to the decentring of scholarly biblical criticism. Finally, this article focuses on the value of interpretation through dialogue, which functions here on two levels: the researcher dialoguing with grassroots interpretation groups in cross-cultural settings, and the resulting grassroots interpretations dialoguing with Western professional biblical interpretations. The potential of this approach is demonstrated using a case study: Mark 4:35-41 interpreted with Cross-Cultural Biblical Interpretation Groups in Northern Namibia. The interpretative insights of grassroots groups in non-Western contexts, free(r) from the influence of Western worldviews and scholarship, function to highlight the equally contextual nature of mainstream professional biblical interpretation.