For centuries, the Bible has been used by colonial powers to undergird their imperial designs--an ironic situation when so much of the Bible was conceived by way of resistance to empires. In this thoughtful book, Mark Brett draws upon his experience of the colonial heritage in Australia to identify a remarkable range of areas where God needs to be decolonized--freed from the bonds of the colonial. Writing in a context where landmark legal cases have ruled that Indigenous (Aboriginal) rights have been 'washed away by the tide of history', Brett re-examines land rights in the biblical traditions, Deuteronomy's genocidal imagination, and other key topics in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament where the effects of colonialism can be traced. Drawing out the implications for theology and ethics, this book provides a comprehensive new proposal for addressing the legacies of colonialism. A ground-breaking work of scholarship that makes a major intervention into post-colonial studies. This book confirms the relevance of post-colonial theory to biblical scholarship and provides an exciting and original approach to biblical interpretation. Bill Ashcroft, University of Hong Kong and University of New South Wales; author of The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures (2002). Acutely sensitive to the historical as well as theological complexity of the Bible, Mark Brett's Decolonizing God brilliantly demonstrates the value of a critical assessment of the Bible as a tool for rethinking contemporary possibilities. The contribution of this book to ethical and theological discourse in a global perspective and to a politics of hope is immense. Tamara C. Eskenazi, HebrewUnion College, Los Angeles; editor of The Torah: A Women's Commentary (2007).

This book presents theological, cultural, ecclesial and hermeneutical explorations from a specific context-Australia-and invites reimagining of theology and hermeneutics. The horizons of contextuality explored in this book include indigeneity and sovereignty, contingencies of context, feminist theology, multiculturalism and intercultural theologies, sexual abuse and ecclesial coverups, suicide and worship, tradition(ing)s and betrayal, art and popular culture, climate effect and climate justice, disability theories, Islamic insights, migration and the images of home, and heaps of contextual matters in between. The chapters are organized into three sections: (1) Roots presents some of the starting points for contextual thinking in Australia and yonder; (2) Wounds attends to the demands of "bodies on the line" upon theological, biblical and ecclesial engagements; (3) Shifts pokes at thinkers and critics.

Religion has power structures that require and justify its existence, spread its influence, and mask its collaboration with other power structures. Power, like religion, is in collaboration. Along this line, this book affirms that one could see and study the power structures and power relations of a religion in and through the missions of empires. Empires rise and roam with the blessings and protections of religious power structures (e.g., scriptures, theologies, interpretations, traditions) that in return carry, propagate and justify imperial agendas. Thus, to understand the relation between religion and power requires one to also study the relation between religion and empires. Christianity is the religion that receives the most deliberation in this book, with some attention to power structures and power relations in Hinduism and Buddhism. The cross-cultural and inter-national contributors share the conviction that something within each religion resists and subverts its power structures and collaborations. The authors discern and interrogate the involvements of religion with empires past and present, political and ideological, economic and customary, systemic and local. The upshot is that the book troubles religious teachings and practices that sustain, as well as profit from, empires.

Combining insights from social and literary theory as well as traditional historical studies, Mark Brett argues that the first book of the Bible can be read as resistance literature.
Placing the theological text firmly within its socio-political context, he shows that the editors of Genesis were directly engaged with contemporary issues, especially the nature of an authentic community, and that the book was designed to undermine the ethnocentism of the imperial governors of the Persian period (fifth century BCE).

Combining insights from social and literary theory as well as traditional historical studies, Mark Brett argues that the first book of the Bible can be read as resistance literature.
Placing the theological text firmly within its socio-political context, he shows that the editors of Genesis were directly engaged with contemporary issues, especially the nature of an authentic community, and that the book was designed to undermine the ethnocentism of the imperial governors of the Persian period (fifth century BCE).

This book suggests that Old Testament scholars should strengthen their growing links with neighbouring academic disciplines and encourage a number of interpretative interests within biblical studies. Given such a pluralistic context, the author's contention is that the 'canonical' approach to Old Testament study will have a distinctive contribution to make to the discipline without necessarily displacing other traditions of historical and literary inquiry, as many scholars have assumed. Dr Brett offers a comprehensive critique of the canonical approach as developed by Brevard Childs, and examines the development of Childs's exegetical practice, his hermeneutical theory, and the many critical responses which his work has elicited. In responding to these criticisms, the author examines the most problematic aspects of the canonical approach (notably Childs's inadequate reply to those who emphasize the ideological conflicts that lie behind biblical texts in their final form) and seeks to reconstruct the approach in light of contemporary discussions of interpretation in literary theory and the social sciences.

This book suggests that Old Testament scholars should strengthen their growing links with neighbouring academic disciplines and encourage a number of interpretative interests within biblical studies. Given such a pluralistic context, the author's contention is that the 'canonical' approach to Old Testament study will have a distinctive contribution to make to the discipline without necessarily displacing other traditions of historical and literary inquiry, as many scholars have assumed. Dr Brett offers a comprehensive critique of the canonical approach as developed by Brevard Childs, and examines the development of Childs's exegetical practice, his hermeneutical theory, and the many critical responses which his work has elicited. In responding to these criticisms, the author examines the most problematic aspects of the canonical approach (notably Childs's inadequate reply to those who emphasize the ideological conflicts that lie behind biblical texts in their final form) and seeks to reconstruct the approach in light of contemporary discussions of interpretation in literary theory and the social sciences.

Religion has power structures that require and justify its existence, spread its influence, and mask its collaboration with other power structures. Power, like religion, is in collaboration. Along this line, this book affirms that one could see and study the power structures and power relations of a religion in and through the missions of empires. Empires rise and roam with the blessings and protections of religious power structures (e.g., scriptures, theologies, interpretations, traditions) that in return carry, propagate and justify imperial agendas. Thus, to understand the relation between religion and power requires one to also study the relation between religion and empires. Christianity is the religion that receives the most deliberation in this book, with some attention to power structures and power relations in Hinduism and Buddhism. The cross-cultural and inter-national contributors share the conviction that something within each religion resists and subverts its power structures and collaborations. The authors discern and interrogate the involvements of religion with empires past and present, political and ideological, economic and customary, systemic and local. The upshot is that the book troubles religious teachings and practices that sustain, as well as profit from, empires.

For centuries, the Bible has been used by colonial powers to undergird their imperial designs--an ironic situation when so much of the Bible was conceived by way of resistance to empires. In this thoughtful book, Mark Brett draws upon his experience of the colonial heritage in Australia to identify a remarkable range of areas where God needs to be decolonized--freed from the bonds of the colonial. Writing in a context where landmark legal cases have ruled that Indigenous (Aboriginal) rights have been 'washed away by the tide of history', Brett re-examines land rights in the biblical traditions, Deuteronomy's genocidal imagination, and other key topics in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament where the effects of colonialism can be traced. Drawing out the implications for theology and ethics, this book provides a comprehensive new proposal for addressing the legacies of colonialism. A ground-breaking work of scholarship that makes a major intervention into post-colonial studies. This book confirms the relevance of post-colonial theory to biblical scholarship and provides an exciting and original approach to biblical interpretation. Bill Ashcroft, University of Hong Kong and University of New South Wales; author of The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures (2002). Acutely sensitive to the historical as well as theological complexity of the Bible, Mark Brett's Decolonizing God brilliantly demonstrates the value of a critical assessment of the Bible as a tool for rethinking contemporary possibilities. The contribution of this book to ethical and theological discourse in a global perspective and to a politics of hope is immense. Tamara C. Eskenazi, Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles; editor of The Torah: A Women's Commentary (2007).

The Hebrew Bible is hardly what might be called a "unified" account of the national history of Israel. The texts, with their myriad genres and competing perspectives, show the forming and re-forming of Ancient Israel's social body in a number of geographical settings. The communities are shown in and out of political power. We read about in-fighting and peace, good kings and bad, freedom and subjugation. Ultimately, the Hebrew Bible is a text about nationhood and empire in the ancient world. Critical reflection on the intersections of religious and political life - which includes such topics as sovereignty, leadership, law, peoplehood, hospitality, redemption, creation, and eschatology - can be broadly termed "Political Theology." In Locations of God, Mark G. Brett focuses primarily on the historical books of the Bible, comparing them with selected prophetic and wisdom books, setting all of them against the lived realities under the shadow of successive empires. Brett suggests that national ideas and their imperial alternatives were woven into the biblical traditions by authors who enjoyed very little in the way of political sovereignty. Using political theology to motivate the discussion, Brett shows us just how the earthly situation of ancient Israel contributed to its theology as reflected in the Hebrew Bible.

Interpreting Isaiah requires attention to empire. The matrix of the book of Isaiah was the imperial contexts of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. The community of faith in these eras needed a prophetic vision for life. Not only is the book of Isaiah crafted in light of empire, but current readers cannot help but approach Isaiah in light of imperial realities today. As a neglected area of research, Isaiah and Imperial Context probes how empire can illumine Isaiah through essays that utilize archaeology, history, literary approaches, post-colonialism, and feminism within the various sections of Isaiah. The contributors are Andrew T. Abernethy, Mark G. Brett, Tim Bulkeley, John Goldingay, Christopher B. Hays, Joy Hooker, Malcolm Mac MacDonald, Judith E. McKinlay, Tim Meadowcroft, Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, and David Ussishkin. "Various parts of the book of Isaiah were written when Israel and Judah lived under imperial domination. It is therefore surprising that this multi-faceted topic has not been the subject of extended analysis before. In the kaleidoscope of essays collected here new patterns within the book are exposed and a colorful light is shed on many of its separate parts and themes. I am sure this will prove invigorating for future research and exegesis." --Hugh Williamson, University of Oxford "An excellent and innovative discussion by a group of scholars engaged in a reading of Isaiah centered on imperial empire. The diversity of approaches extends from a focus on historical background, language, and social custom to the present reception of the text, particularly from the perspective of post-colonial theory." --Ed Conrad, University of Queensland "The editors have produced a collection of essays that are sharply focused on . . . reading the texts of Isaiah in the context of the imperial realities of Assyrian and Babylonian military and economic power. The essays are consistently well-written, and the collection is both helpful and even quite provocative. I suggest this book be required reading for any modern studies of Prophetic literature." --Daniel Smith-Christopher, Loyola Marymount University Andrew T. Abernethy is Lecturer in Old Testament at Ridley Melbourne Mission and Ministry College. Mark G. Brett is Professor of Hebrew Bible at Whitley College, MCD University of Divinity. Tim Bulkeley recently retired as Lecturer at Carey Baptist College, Auckland, and is now a freelance scholar. Tim Meadowcroft is Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Laidlaw College, Auckland.

How can Scripture address some of the most important issues of our time? In Political Trauma and Healing Mark Brett offers a careful reading of biblical texts that speak to some of our most pressing public issues - the legacies of colonialism, the demands of asylum seekers, the challenges of climate change, and the shaping of redemptive economies. Brett argues that the Hebrew Bible can be read as a series of reflections on political trauma and healing - the long saga of a succession of ancient empires violently asserting their own forms of sovereignty over ancient Israel, and of the Israelites forced to live out new pathways toward restoration. Brett helps recover the prophetic voice of Scripture in these texts and applies them to the contemporary world, addressing current justice issues in a relevant, constructive, and compelling manner.