The implications of honour and shame in Matthew 5:38-42 and in Unhu philosophy as a response to the political violence in Zimbabwe

Date
2022-11
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research sought to understand how honour and shame are defined in both Matt. 5:38-42 and Unhu Philosophy, and how they can be analysed alongside each other as a possible way of curbing political violence in Zimbabwe. To explore the possibility of how the Matthean Jesus’ context illuminate the Zimbabwean context the researcher used Social Scientific Exegesis to answer three critical questions; how are the values of honour and shame defined in Matthew 5:38-42?, what is Unhu philosophy and how do the concepts of honour and shame feature within it?, what are the differences and similarities between understandings of honour and shame in Jesus’ ethics as reflected in Matt. 5:38-42 and the way honour and shame feature in Unhu Philosophy? This research contains six chapters. Chapter one is the introduction providing the aim and focus of the study, research questions, the importance of the study and the methodology. Chapter two focused on honour and shame in Matthew as well as the understanding of honour and shame in the Jewish and Greco-Roman world behind the text. Chapter three gives an overview of the Sermon on the Mount and undertakes the Social-Scientific exegesis of Matt. 5:38-42. Chapter four provided a general overview of the African context and investigated how the Bible should be interpreted from a Postcolonial perspective. Chapter five focused on honour and shame in Unhu Philosophy and chapter six concluded the research by indicating similarities and divergences between the Matthean Jesus’ context and the Unhu Philosophy oriented Zimbabwean context. The research identified some similarities in the role played by the values of honour and shame in the Matthean Jesus’ community and the Zimbabwean community in as far as violence was/is concerned. This research established that the Matthean Jesus’ approach to violence as captured in Matt. 5:38-42 was different from his contemporaries. While the Matthean Jesus participated in the game of honour and shame he also changed the game’s rules. This research concluded that if the custodians of Jesus’ ethics i.e., the Church adopt the Matthean Jesus’ approach she might contribute effectively to the stopping the vicious circle of political violence in Zimbabwe and contribute positively to the dialogue of national healing and reconciliation.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing het probeer bepaal hoe eer en skaamte gedefinieer word in beide Matt. 5:38-42 en Unhu Filosofie, en hoe hulle saam met mekaar ontleed kan word as 'n moontlike manier om politieke geweld in Zimbabwe te bekamp. Die navorsing het Sosiale-Wetenskaplike Eksegese gebruik om drie kritiese vrae te beantwoord; hoe word die waardes van eer en skaamte in Matteus 5:38-42 gedefinieer, wat is Unhu-filosofie en hoe verskyn die konsepte van eer en skaamte daarin en wat is die verskille en ooreenkomste tussen die begrippe van eer en skaamte in Jesus se etiek soos weerspieël in Matt. 5:38-42 en die manier hoe eer en skande funksioneer in Unhu Filosofie? Hierdie navorsing bestaan uit ses hoofstukke. Hoofstuk een is die inleiding wat die doel en fokus van die studie, navorsingsvrae, belangrikheid van die studie en die metodologie verskaf. Hoofstuk twee het gefokus op eer en skaamte in Matteus, asook die begrip van eer en skaamte in die Joodse en Grieks-Romeinse wêreld agter die teks. Hoofstuk drie gee 'n oorsig van die Bergpredikasie en onderneem ʼn Sosiaal- Wetenskaplike eksegese van Matt. 5:38-42. Hoofstuk vier gee 'n algemene oorsig van die Afrika-konteks en ondersoek hoe die Bybel vanuit 'n postkoloniale perspektief geïnterpreteer moet word. Hoofstuk vyf, fokus op eer en skaamte in Unhu Filosofie en hoofstuk ses sluit die navorsing af deur ooreenkomste en verskille tussen die konteks van Matteus en die Unhu Filosofie-georiënteerde Zimbabweuit te lig. Die navorsing het 'n paar ooreenkomste geïdentifiseer in die rol wat gespeel word deur die waardes van eer en skaamte volgens Matteus en die Zimbabwiese gemeenskap wat geweld betref. Dit het vasgestel dat Jesus se benadering tot geweld soos verwoord in Matt. 5:38-42 verskil van sy tydgenote. Terwyl Jesus volgens Matteus deelgeneem het aan die spel van eer en skaamte, het hy ook die spelse reëls verander.Die navorsing kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat indien die navolgers van Jesus se etiek, die Kerk vandag, Jesus se benadering soos uiteengesit deur Matteus volg, dit kan bydra tot die beëindiging van die bose kringloop van politieke geweld in Zimbabwe en die sukses van die openbare dialoog oor nasionale genesing en versoening.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Bible. Matthew, V, 38-42 -- Criticism, interpretation, etc., Philosophy, African, Political violence, UCTD
Citation