INTERPRETASI ALKITAB POSTKOLONIAL DI ASIA: BELAJAR DARI SUGIRTHARAJAH

Abstract

Colonialism has multiple implications, covering not only the economic area but also those of politics, culture and even knowledge. It has stimulated hegemonic discourse and produced meanings accordingly. It also tends to create unbalanced concepts of power using European-centric approach. Responding to this postcolonialism criticizes and resists such domination and hegemonic power. Its concerns is to channel “unvoiced voices” that could never have the opportunity to exist under colonialism hegemony. In the light of postcolonialism the oppressed could become an active subject. Therefore, postcolonial studies emphasise issues such as gender, pluralism, ethnicity and marginal communities. In the context of interpreting the Bible postcolonialism studies attempt to investigate and to reread Bible passages and its interpretations with suspicion of colonialism influence on them. Sugirtharajah is an Asian theologian who employes postcolonialism approach in interpreting the Bible. He searches the history of interpretation as related to the colonialism discourse and intreprets the Bible from that perspective.