Seminary of the 3rd Age - Norm Habel - Decolonising Genesis 1-11

This talk begins with a summary of the ‘decolonising hermeneutic’ developed with First Nations Australia. Applying this approach to Genesis 1:1-25, we can retrieve an account of the Birth of Land.  Land pre-exists in waters, is born when the waters part, is named by God, and gives birth to living creatures. Attached to this narrative is a colonial addition (verses 26-28) in which humans are created to subdue/crush Land.  This presentation with be filmed for use at a conference in Bethlehem later this year.

Norman Habel is a Biblical buff who has specialised in reading the Bible from many different points of view, including literary, ecological and theological. He has also had a special personal interest in the Wisdom School of thought reflected in books like Job. In recent years, he has worked with First Nations Australia to develop a decolonising hermeneutic.