From June 3rd until August 12th, SCMers will meet every Thursday from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM EST in order to discuss how we may decolonize scripture, and reclaim the Bible from the hands of exploiters and into the hands of the exploited in today’s context.
Historically, peoples have used the Bible to empower themselves and their community, and find hope in times of despair. As a community that is exposed and often taught about colonized forms of Christianity, how can we do work to unsettle the Word?
Synopsis:
“For generations, the Bible has been employed by settler colonial societies as a weapon to dispossess Indigenous and racialized peoples of their lands, cultures, and spiritualities. Given this devastating legacy, many want nothing to do with it. But is it possible for the exploited and their allies to reclaim the Bible from the dominant powers? Can we make it an instrument for justice in the cause of the oppressed? Even a nonviolent weapon toward decolonization?
In Unsettling the Word, over 60 Indigenous and Settler authors come together to wrestle with the Scriptures, re-reading and re-imagining the ancient text for the sake of reparative futures.
Created by Mennonite Church Canada’s Indigenous-Settler Relations program, Unsettling the Word is intended to nurture courageous conversations with the Bible, our current settler colonial contexts, and the Church’s call to costly peacemaking.”
Purchasing the book is not necessary as we will be reading it as a group during sessions. However, if you wish to purchase it or learn more about it, you can access it here: https://www.commonword.ca/ResourceView/82/19793
Each week we will be reading approximately 5 pages including Scripture and readings from the book.
In order to register for this book club, please fill out this form: https://airtable.com/shrTRCmhLZyHNZIEy
