Starting Points

Karl Barth

This week in theology we discussed various starting points in our exploration of God. From the reading that we did (Stan Grenz) there were three basic starting points throughout the Christian tradition: 1). faith (e.g., Augustine's "Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand" or Anselm's "Faith seeking understanding"); 2). doubt or the proofs of God's existence (e.g., Aquinas "Five Ways"); and 3). agnosticism (e.g., Ricoeur's "Hermeneutics of Suspicion"). Overall, this explains well how theological/philosophical exploration has been done throughout the Christian tradition. I get this idea of starting points from Karl Barth. The idea is simple: wherever you begin your thinking will significantly influence and shape your theology. 

Musa W. Dube

Now enter African biblical scholar Musa Dube (from Botswana) and her "Talitha Cum" hermeneutic. I recently read a short article by her about African Women's ways of reading the Bible. The framework that she sets up is based on the Markan story found in Mark 5:21-43. There are two females in this story. The first is the bleeding woman, who touches Jesus' cloak and is healed, and the daughter of Jairus, who dies while Jesus is on the way to heal her. When Jesus enters the house, he says to the little girl, "talitha cum" ("Little girl, I say wake up") and she jumps up from her bed and begins to walk around the house. 

Dube argues that this story has captured the imagination of African women theologians. There is hope in this story. Two women who were suffering were healed and raised from the dead. The bleeding woman was cast out of society because of her condition and the little girl had died. It is this Jesus that comes to the women of Africa, a man who brings forth life from death and alienation. And thus, a "Talitha Cum" hermeneutic is a "Hermeneutic of Life."  

In particular, this is a way of approaching the core of the Christian life. These women call us to live into a way of living for life and standing against what Dube calls "all the death-dealing forces and the social injustices that often trivialize the lives of many" (145). This is what she refers to as reading and living into "the resurrection space for life" (145). 

Reading Dube caused me to return to the discussion of starting points. Her call to live into resurrection and life is very compelling. May it be my starting point in all my theological thinking and doing. Thank you Professor Dube for reminding me to feel and do while I think. 

Article: Musa W. Dube, “Talitha Cum Hermeneutics of Liberation: Some African Women’s Ways of Reading the Bible,” in The Bible and The Hermeneutics of Liberation, Alejandro F. Botta and Pablo R. Andiñach, eds., Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009: 133-145.