From Empire to Identity: Decolonizing Scripture through Culture: An Igbo-Centred Hermeneutics and Reinterpretation of 1 Corinthians 9:22

Abstract

The challenge of decolonizing Scripture through culture remains a central concern in African theological discourse. While previous studies have broadly advocated for contextual and postcolonial approaches to biblical interpretation, few have offered a sustained, text-specific, and culturally grounded hermeneutic rooted in a particular African worldview. This study addresses that lacuna by advancing an Igbo-centred reinterpretation of 1 Corinthians 9:22, critically engaging Western hermeneutical paradigms and reimagining Scripture through the lens of Igbo cultural identity. Drawing on both exegetical analysis and qualitative inquiry, including interviews with Igbo theologians, clergy, and cultural practitioners, the research demonstrates that a decolonized reading of Paul’s ethic of adaptability aligns with indigenous Igbo values such as communal responsibility, humility, and service. Unlike broader African contextual studies, this research contributes a focused hermeneutical framework that indigenizes Scripture at the intersection of Pauline theology and Igbo cosmology. It highlights three key outcomes: (1) a richer, culturally resonant understanding of Christian faith among the Igbo; (2) the emergence of new theological expressions that affirm indigenous knowledge systems; and (3) a reclamation of suppressed Igbo religious concepts reinterpreted within a Christian ethical framework. In doing so, this study not only extends the scope of African biblical scholarship but also challenges residual colonial legacies that persist in ecclesial structures and theological education. By shifting the interpretive authority from empire to identity, the research repositions the Igbo people as active participants in the production of theological meaning. It offers a distinctive contribution to ongoing conversations on decolonization by demonstrating how a culturally embedded reading of Scripture can generate theologically sound, socially relevant, and spiritually empowering expressions of Christian faith in postcolonial Africa.