A Postcolonial African American Re-reading of Colossians : Identity, Reception, and Interpretation Under the Gaze of Empire

Written from an African American perspective, this work depicts the presentation of the gospel message to the first-century community of Colossae, their reception of it comparative to the presentation and reception of the same to the enslaved Africans of North America particularly in the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. Front Matter....Pages i-ix General Introduction....Pages 1-4 Front Matter....Pages 5-8 Contemporaries of Laodicea and Hierapolis....Pages 9-13 Generations of Believers in the Mysteries and Mythological Cults....Pages 15-21 Jews....Pages 23-39 Subjects of Greco-Roman Empire....Pages 41-55 Front Matter....Pages 57-60 African Traditional Religion....Pages 61-66 Identity of the Enslaved Africans in North America....Pages 67-71 Identity Through the Language of the Enslaver....Pages 73-82 Identity Through the Language of the Enslaved....Pages 83-103 Front Matter....Pages 105-107 Introduction to Re-Reading Colossians....Pages 109-122 Colossians One....Pages 123-137 Colossians Two....Pages 139-154 Colossians Three....Pages 155-168 Colossians Four....Pages 169-175 General Conclusions....Pages 177-179 Back Matter....Pages 181-234 "A Postcolonial African American Re-reading of Colossians: Identity, Reception, and Interpretation Under the Gaze of Empire" examines the identities of two seemingly unrelated groups of people; the initial recipients of the letter and the enslaved African in the North American Diaspora. Both groups, although unrelated, share a common element. They are both considered erroneous in their interpretations of the gospel. They are labeled and summarily silenced. This work gives both a voice and determines from their identities their response to the gospel. Despite the lack of harsh labels given to the initial readers of Colossians by modern commentators, the author of the letter was guilty of error in that the letter lacked deference to their former beliefs and culture Cover; Half-Title; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Acknowledgments; General Introduction; Part I The People of Colossae; 1 Contemporaries of Laodicea and Hierapolis; 2 Generations of Believers in the Mysteries and Mythological Cults; 3 Jews; 4 Subjects of Greco-Roman Empire; Part II The Enslaved Africans of North America; 5 African Traditional Religion; 6 Identity of the Enslaved Africans in North America; 7 Identity through the Language of the Enslaver; 8 Identity through the Language of the Enslaved; Part III Re-reading Colossians; 9 Introduction to Re-reading Colossians 10 Colossians One11 Colossians Two; 12 Colossians Three; 13 Colossians Four; General Conclusions; Notes; Bibliography; Index