Reading the Bible through Filipino Eyes

Abstract

This paper presents first a brief introductory reflection on the “stranger as guest”—the strengths and weaknesses of a foreigner's perspective on cultural difference. Part Two presents an analysis of reading the Bible in a Filipino context. Part Three examines the world of the Filipino reader with special attention to three primary characteristics shared by the biblical world and Filipino culture: namely, an emphasis on honor and shame, concern for indebtedness and reciprocity in social relations, and the sense of dyadic personality and corporate consciousness. Part Four employs these insights in some examples of reading the Pauline letters through the eyes of a Filipino. This “reading” demonstrates the richness of cross-cultural (i.e., non-Western) experience as a resource for interpreting biblical texts.