Thinking like an Asian
Today's little exercise in Postcolonial Criticism got us excited hehe. Such a compelling and refreshingly honest piece: A Native American Perspective: Canaanites, Cowboys, and Indians by Robert Allen Warrior. If the process of Israel seeking its place or seeking justice from oppression has led to the oppression of other innocent parties, can we really claim ground to do the same because it's biblical? Who is this God, who enables and empowers a tiny movement to conquer the land of 7 people groups? Is He the impartial, perfect, loves-everyone God?
How can we do justice in a way where the oppressed doesn't fear oppression so much that they become oppressors? Tough.
Anyways. Leng remarked that she wonders how a Postcolonial Asian interpretation would look like - for Asian Postcolonialism hasn't grown its wings yet so there is very little out there. So our discussion began. I do feel that Asians think differently from Westerners - exactly how different, I don't know. But I feel like Asian thinking is more emotional, perhaps pictorial and the kind of emotions the picture evokes. And increasingly, I find myself thinking in terms of pictures - although I'm a visual learner. So then, what is Asian thinking? Are we conscious that we think like Asians? If we aren't conscious of our identity as Asians, how can we even do Asian Postcolonialism?
But! Academia is inherently Western, rationalism oriented. It's hard to get readership (or even publish) without hitting their standards. And as Leng points out, the irony is that the Asians are good at Western rationalism, even better than them sometimes. And also by the time they get to the stage of publishing papers, they would be well steeped in the ways of Western models of higher learning.
I really hope for a day where Asian Postcolonial readings of the Bible can be so substantial, it'll published into a thick book or a journal on its own. I also wonder why I have an innate desire to seek justice for the poor, and to see their voices on papers around the world and their opinions valued. Needs more reflexivity.
How can we do justice in a way where the oppressed doesn't fear oppression so much that they become oppressors? Tough.
Anyways. Leng remarked that she wonders how a Postcolonial Asian interpretation would look like - for Asian Postcolonialism hasn't grown its wings yet so there is very little out there. So our discussion began. I do feel that Asians think differently from Westerners - exactly how different, I don't know. But I feel like Asian thinking is more emotional, perhaps pictorial and the kind of emotions the picture evokes. And increasingly, I find myself thinking in terms of pictures - although I'm a visual learner. So then, what is Asian thinking? Are we conscious that we think like Asians? If we aren't conscious of our identity as Asians, how can we even do Asian Postcolonialism?
But! Academia is inherently Western, rationalism oriented. It's hard to get readership (or even publish) without hitting their standards. And as Leng points out, the irony is that the Asians are good at Western rationalism, even better than them sometimes. And also by the time they get to the stage of publishing papers, they would be well steeped in the ways of Western models of higher learning.
I really hope for a day where Asian Postcolonial readings of the Bible can be so substantial, it'll published into a thick book or a journal on its own. I also wonder why I have an innate desire to seek justice for the poor, and to see their voices on papers around the world and their opinions valued. Needs more reflexivity.
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