Journal: Conspectus
Volume: CONSPECTUS 35:2 (Sep 2023)
Article: Book Review: "Reading Jeremiah in Africa: Biblical Essays in Sociopolitical Imagination."
Author: Anonymous

Conspectus 35:2 (September 2023) p. 27

Book Review: Reading Jeremiah in Africa: Biblical Essays in Sociopolitical Imagination.

Katho, Bungishabaku. 2021. Reading Jeremiah in Africa: Biblical Essays in Sociopolitical Imagination. Carlisle: HippoBooks. xiii, 217 pp. ISBN: 978–1- 83973–213–3. Approx. 355 ZAR (15.99 GBP). Paperback.

Bungishabaku Katho has a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. He is Professor of Old Testament Studies at the Université Shalom de Bunia, DRC, where he also serves as Director of Postgraduate Studies for the School of Theology. Additionally, he is a Senior Researcher at the Centre de Recherche Multidisciplinaire pour le Développement de Bunia (CRMD Bunia). Dr. Katho is the Founder and Executive Director of the Jeremiah Center for Faith and Society, and he has written and presented extensively on the book of Jeremiah, including a commentary in French in the Commentaires Bibliques Contemporains series.

Katho’s Reading Jeremiah in Africa is an uninhibited study of the book of Jeremiah from the perspective of one who witnesses the struggles and suffering of his contemporaries. Katho’s main concern in these essays is to show how the book of Jeremiah is relevant to the African people. To accomplish his goal, he advocates a reading of the text that takes into account the “experiences and struggles” (p. 2) of the African peoples.

Using ten selected passages from the book of Jeremiah, he draws parallels between the predicaments of the people of Judah and the complex political and economic situation of contemporary Africa. Thus, reading Jeremiah through the prism of African realities proves to be a constructive approach that not only sets this book apart from Western interpretations but also departs from a merely spiritual understanding of it. Katho succeeds in doing this without falling into the trap of theological ghetoism. His interpretive task is not only informed by the socio-political realities of Africa but it is based on an honest and robust analysis of the text. Although Katho does not clearly state this in the book, the discerning reader understands that his contextual approach is based on traditional evangelical exegesis, i.e., the historical-grammatical method. This shows his respect for the meaning intended by the biblical author, which he seeks to establish before drawing his own conclusions.

Each one of the ten chapters highlights specific issues faced by Africans, “including poverty, war, injustice, corruption, idolatry, abuse of power, and the crisis of refugees and exile [sic]” (p. 2). While chapters 1–7 paint a bleak picture of the situation in Africa, chapters 8–10 offer hope for an Africa that is rising from the ashes by God’s mercy and ...