Postcolonial Study Gen 25-50

Catalog description

Taught by JST. This course offers a postcolonial study of the Jacob/Joseph Narratives (Gen 25.19-50.26). The concept of tribe is a significant identity marker in both biblical Israel and in Africa. Biblical Israel is an amalgam of tribes (the sons of Jacob). The Jacob - Joseph stories are narratives of identity formation. So too postcolonial African states are amalgams of tribes with contrasting and sometimes competing identities but also shared traditions and values that hold them together. How do these ancient and contemporary narratives function in the construction of both national as well as tribal identity? What are the peculiarities/boundaries of the tribes? What are their shared traditions and values?