Ethnicity, Race, Religion

Abstract

Book Blurb: Religion, ethnicity and race are facets of identity that have become increasingly contested. They intersect and overlap in complex and varied ways, and study of the Bible and Christian origins contributes much to a discussion of these ideas. The modern discipline of biblical studies developed in the context of Western Europe, concurrent with the emergence of various racial and imperial ideologies. The essays in this volume deal both with historical facets of ethnicity and race in antiquity, in particular in relation to the identities of Jews and Christians and also with the critique of scholarly ideologies and racial assumptions which have shaped biblical studies Together, the essays critique various Western European and North American contexts, and bring fresh perspectives from other global contexts, providing insights into how biblical studies can escape its enmeshment in Western (often racist) notions of ethnicity, race, empire, nationhood and religion