Decolonizing Ruth: Postcolonial African Perspectives

Today, I highlight a chapter by Robert Wafawanaka, a Hebrew Bible professor at Virginia Union University: "Decolonizing Ruth, Reading and 'Un-reading' Ruth with African Eyes: Masculinity, Disability, and Survival," from my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Wafawanaka brings a postcolonial Zimbabwean perspective to the text, exploring the intersections of ancient tradition, modern African contexts, masculinity, disability, and survival. Viewing Naomi and Ruth as victims of a male-dominated world, he powerfully argues that women should be empowered to thrive without being shackled by patriarchal traditions.