Gunda & Kügler, Introductioncontemporary politics of Zimbabwe, especially noting that “with the
advent of a meaningful opposition party the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) in 1999, this text started to be the talk of the day.” It is
suggested that once political power had come under threat, the ruling
elites in Zimbabwe resorted to biblical justifications for their continued
stay in power and were happy “to quarantine the church from political
affairs as if to suggest that she had no role or influence in such matters”,
highlighting the fact that “since Constantine, Christians have long been
confused about what to do when presented with evil or unjust regimes”
(Budde 2011:152). Francis Machingura looks at the interface between
the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot and the political concept of “sell-
ing out” as articulated in Zimbabwean politics. “The concept of ‘selling
out’, although having its background in the world of the Bible, that is,
the gospels, has created a fertile ground in the contemporary religious,
social, economic and political environment of Zimbabwe.” Among the
various problems caused by the use of this labeling being the upsurge in
politically motivated violence against those labeled sell-outs. Machingura
proposes a re-reading of the Judas Iscariot narratives with a view to
eliminating the vagaries that have been exposed by those who “deliber-
ately exaggerated their characterization of others as ‘sell outs’ suggesting
that violence against such people was justified.”
Stephanie Feder throws light on the contradictions of the readings and
meanings of the Exodus within Southern Africa focusing on Paul
Kruger, Isaiah Shembe and Musa Dube. The three represent the Boer
settler communities of South Africa, the black nationalists and contem-
porary African postcolonial feminist. Feder shows how the same text can
inspire liberation forces while at the same time legitimizing occupying
forces, focusing especially on South Africa, Feder shows how the Bible
became an indispensable part of the contending parties showing that “al-
though the biblical text remained the same, the results and the political
intention for which Kruger. Shembe and Dube used the text were totally
opposed”, showing especially with Kruger how “one’s own perspective
on the Bible could become a dangerous one” if not understood in a con-
text that listens to the pain of the other. Joachim Kügler engages with the
all-important topic of eating and feeding noting that “the Gospel of John
is traditionally seen as the most ‘spiritual’ gospel without any political
dimension. In antiquity, however, there is no kind of religion without
political dimension and I even dare to doubt that a non-political religion