Elizabeth Mburu
Elizabeth W. Mburu (born 1968) is a Kenyan theologian who is a professor of New Testament and Greek at the International Leadership University, Africa International University and Pan Africa Christian University in Nairobi. Her book, African Hermeneutics, seeks to provide a uniquely African approach to interpreting the Bible.
Early life and education[]
Mburu grew up in Nairobi in a family with six children.[1] She is a third generation Christian, and her grandfather was involved in the translation of the Bible into Kikuyu in the early 1900s.[1] Mburu became a Christian herself in 1993 and began to work with street children, leading to a desire for further training.[1]
Mburu has a Master of Divinity from Nairobi International School of Theology and a Master of Sacred Theology from Northwest Baptist Seminary.[1] She received her PhD in New Testament from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) in 2008 with a thesis titled "Qumran and the Origins of Johannine Language and Symbolism", which became her first book.[2] She was the school's first female PhD graduate.[3] While there, she served as managing editor of the seminary's newsletter, Academicus.[1]
Career and research[]
Mburu taught at Montreat College in the United States before returning to Kenya where she has taught at the Africa International University.[1][3] She is a curriculum evaluator for the Association of Christian Theological Education in Africa and African regional coordinator and commissioning editor for Langham Literature.[3] She joined the Board of the Africa Bible Commentary in 2017 and was New Testament editor for its revision.[3] She is also on the boards of a number of journals including the South African Baptist Journal of Theology, Conspectus Journal and Pan Africa Christian University Journal.[1]
Mburu's book, African Hermeneutics proposes an intercultural approach that moves from theories, methods and categories familiar to the African world into the world of the Bible, without "taking a detour through any foreign methods".[1][4][5] She has said she was motivated to write the book due to the rapid growth of the church in the global South, particularly Africa, a lack of contextual resources available to her students, and the challenges of syncretism.[1] She said her work also "challenges and broadens the lens of Western assumptions and interpretation because it presents Western readers with a different way of looking at texts".[1] Her analogy of a four-legged stool is summarised by Frederick Mawusi Amevenkhu and Isaac Boaheng in their book Biblical Exegesis in African Context as a "suitable model for the African context".[4]
In 2019, Mburu received an Outstanding Academic Achievement Award from SEBTS and gave the keynote address at a celebration held during the 71st annual Evangelical Theological Society meeting.[1][6]
Selected publications[]
Books[]
- Mburu, Elizabeth W. (2010). Qumran and the Origins of Johannine Language and Symbolism. A&C Black. ISBN 9780567523716.
- Mburu, Elizabeth (2019). African Hermeneutics. Langham Publishing. ISBN 9781783685387.
Chapters[]
- Mburu, Elizabeth (2017). "Is God a God of Retribution? A Worldview Interpretation Using the Four-Legged-Stool Hermeneutical Model". In Rodney L. Reed (ed.). Christianity and Suffering: African Perspectives. Langham Publishing. ISBN 9781783683611.
- Mburu, Elizabeth (2018). "From the Classroom to the Pulpit:Navigating the Challenges". In Rodney L. Reed (ed.). African Contextual Realities. Langham Publishing. ISBN 9781783684748.
- Mburu, Elizabeth (2019). "Integration of Faith, Life, and Academia to Achieve Transformational Education". In David K. Ngaruiya; Rodney L. Reed (eds.). Governance and Christian Higher Education in the African Context. Langham Publishing. ISBN 9781783685608.
Personal life[]
Mburu is married to Caxton and they have three children.[1]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l Bohlinger, Tavis (25 February 2021). "African Hermeneutics: Extensive Interview with Elizabeth Mburu". Logos. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Collins-Elliott, Jennifer (20 February 2014). "Book Review: Elizabeth W. Mburu Qumran and the Origins of Johannine Language and Symbolism". Dead Sea Discoveries. 1 (1): 113–115. doi:10.1163/15685179-12341302.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Lowery, Stephanie A. (2020). "9 African Women Theologians You Should Know About". The Global Church Project. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Amevenkhu, Frederick Mawusi; Boaheng, Isaac (2021). Biblical Exegesis in African Context. Vernon Press. p. 73. ISBN 9781648892837.
- ^ Wildsmith, Andrew (2018). "Elizabeth Mburu and African Hermeneutics: A Review Article". Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology. 37 (1): 77–84.
- ^ Pratt, Lauren (26 November 2019). "Southeastern celebrates scholars during ETS dinner". Biblical Recorder. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
External links[]
- Living people
- 1968 births
- People from Nairobi
- Kenyan women writers
- African biblical scholars
- Women Christian theologians
- 21st-century Protestant theologians
- 21st-century Kenyan women writers
- 21st-century Kenyan writers