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dc.contributor.author | Garijo-Serrano, Jose-Alberto![]() |
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dc.date.accessioned | 2022-08-17T13:13:11Z | |
dc.date.available | 2022-08-17T13:13:11Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021-10-26 | |
dc.description | The author is participating as a research fellow in the project, ‘Biblical Theology and Hermeneutics’, directed by Prof. Dr Andries G. van Aarde, Senior Research Fellow in the Dean’s Office, Professor at the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. | en_US |
dc.description | Special Collection: Scholarly Voices, sub-edited by Yolanda Dreyer (University of Pretoria). | en_US |
dc.description.abstract | This article considers Edward W. Said’s proposals on ‘imaginative geographies’ as suggested in his leading work Orientalism as a tool to analyse the ideological circumstances that shape geographical spaces in the Bible. My purpose is to discuss how these imaginative geographies are present in the patriarchal narratives of Genesis and how they have left their mark on the history of the interpretation of these texts and on the not always easy relations between members of the religious traditions inherited from the Bible (Hebrews, Muslims and Christians). I propose four types of ‘imaginative geographies’: (1) ‘Equalness’ is the way to represent what is considered as sharing the own identity. The geography of ‘Equalness’ defines the spaces of Isaac, Jacob and their families. (2) ‘Otherness’ is the way to represent the ‘Other’ as opposite or juxtaposed to one’s own identity. A common border is shared, thus kinship relationships can be established. It defines the spaces of Ishmael, Esau/Edom, Lot (Ammon and Moab) and Laban. (3) ‘Foreignness’ is the way to define what is strange, odd or exotic considered as external to the own identity, in a space set beyond even the space of the ‘Other’. Egypt is in Genesis a land of ‘Foreignness’. (4) ‘Delendness’ encompasses whatever claims our same space and therefore threatens our survival and must be destroyed (delendum). As such, processes of annihilation and dominion of Israel on Canaanites and Sichemites are justified. CONTRIBUTION : The article applies Said’s ‘imaginative geographies’ as an identity mechanism for the creation of biblical literary spaces. A quadripartite classification (‘Equal’/‘Other’/‘ Foreigner’/‘Delendum’) instead of the usual bipartite one (‘Equal’ vs. ‘Other’) is proposed and the consequences for the current coexistence between religious identities inherited from Abraham are shown. | en_US |
dc.description.department | New Testament Studies | en_US |
dc.description.librarian | am2022 | en_US |
dc.description.uri | http://www.hts.org.za | en_US |
dc.identifier.citation | Garijo-Serrano, J.A., 2021, ‘Constructing imaginative geographies in Genesis’, HTS Teologiese Studies/ Theological Studies 77(2), a6969. https://DOI.org/10.4102/hts.v77i2.6969. | en_US |
dc.identifier.issn | 0259-9422 (print) | |
dc.identifier.issn | 2072-8050 (online) | |
dc.identifier.other | 10.4102/hts.v77i2.6969 | |
dc.identifier.uri | https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/86849 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.publisher | AOSIS | en_US |
dc.rights | © 2021. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. | en_US |
dc.subject | Orientalism in the Bible | en_US |
dc.subject | Imaginative geographies | en_US |
dc.subject | Otherness in the Bible | en_US |
dc.subject | Jacob and Esau | en_US |
dc.subject | Arabs and Ishmaelites | en_US |
dc.subject | Israelites and Canaanites | en_US |
dc.title | Constructing imaginative geographies in Genesis | en_US |
dc.type | Article | en_US |