Postcolonialism a nd Re ligions The Postcolonialism and Religions series by its very name bridges the secular with the sacred through hybrid, interstitial, and contrapuntal inquiries. The series features the scholarship of indigenous scholars working at the intersections of postcolonial theories, theologies, and religions. The editors welcome authors around the world in an effort to move beyond and interrogate a historical North American and Euro-centric postcolonial studies disciplinary dominance. The series seeks to foster subaltern voices especially from Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and the liquid continent. J. Jayakiran Sebastian is a Presbyter of the Church of South India and Dean of the Seminary and H. George Anderson Professor of Mission and Cultures at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, USA. He has served as Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Theology and Ethics at the United Theological College in Bangalore, India. Joseph Duggan is Presbyter in The Episcopal Church and Episcopal Church Foundation Academic Fellow. He is the founder of Postcolonial Networks and Borderless Press. Decolonizing the Body of Christ: Theology and Theory after Empire? Edited by David Joy and Joseph Duggan A Postcolonial African American Re-reading of Colossians: Identity, Reception, and Interpretation under the Gaze of Empire Annie Tinsley Caste, Gender and Christianity in Colonial India: Telugu Women in Mission James Elisha Taneti Indigenous Australia and the Unfinished Business of Theology: Cross-Cultural Engagement Edited by Jione Havea Historic Engagements with Occidental Cultures, Religions, Powers: Perceptions from Europe and Asia Edited by Anne R. Richards and Iraj Omidvar Islamic Reform and Colonial Discourse on Modernity in India: Socio-Political and Religious Thought of Vakkom Moulavi Jose A braham Colonial Contexts and Postcolonial Theologies: Storyweaving in the Asia-Pacific Edited by Mark G. Brett and Jione Havea Liturgy in Postcolonial Perspectives: Only One is Holy Edited by Cl á udio Carvalhaes
Postcolonial Discipleship of Embodiment: An Asian and Asian American Feminist Reading of the Gospel of Mark Jin Young Choi A Postcolonial Woman s Encounter with Moses and Miriam Angeline M.G. Song The Literary Imagination in Israel-Palestine: Orientalism, Poetry, and Biopolitics Hella Bloom Cohen
A Postcolonial Woman s Encounter with Moses and Miriam Angeline M.G. Song
A POSTCOLONIAL WOMAN S ENCOUNTER WITH MOSES AND MIRIAM Copyright Angeline M.G. Song, 2015. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2015 978-1-137-54430-8 All rights reserved. First published in 2015 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN in the United States a division of St. Martin s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave and Macmillan are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-55261-0 ISBN 978-1-137-54392-9 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/9781137543929 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Song, Angeline M. G., 1965 A postcolonial woman s encounter with Moses and Miriam / Angeline M.G. Song. pages cm. (Postcolonialism and religions) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Bible. Exodus, II Postcolonial criticism. 2. Moses (Biblical leader) 3. Miriam (Biblical figure) 4. Song, Angeline M. G., 1965 5. Empathy. 6. Postcolonialism. 7. Bal, Mieke, 1946 8. Perspective in literature. I. Title. BS1245.52.S66 2015 222.1206 dc23 2015008654 A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library. Design by Newgen Knowledge Works (P) Ltd., Chennai, India. First edition: September 2015 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
In memory of my mother, Mollie (1926 1992) and for Gee Ee Rosie and husband Vincent
Contents Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations ix xi Introduction 1 1 Confessions of a Chinese-but-Not-Chinese Adoptee 7 2 A Strangely Familiar Reading Strategy 37 3 An Upside-Down or Right-Side Up View of the World? 65 4 Adapting B al s F ocalization M ethodology 95 5 Analyzing the Power (Im)Balance in Exodus 2 109 6 Encountering and Reimaging Moses and Miriam 149 Conclusion 201 Notes 205 Select Bi bliography 243 Index 255
Acknowledgments This book is based largely on my doctoral dissertation with some modifications. Since what I was crafting on an intellectual level was, at many points, being informed by events in my own life past and present, it was a journey that was not always comfortable. From such a context, I express my heartfelt gratitude to my outstanding doctoral supervisor Dr. Judith McKinlay. My work has benefited not only from her sharp academic eye and critically astute feedback, but also from her steadfast support particularly during difficult times. My profound thanks also to my supervisor, Dr. Tim Meadowcroft, whose thoughtful suggestions at crucial points contributed to significant improvements, and friendship lightened the load. I am deeply grateful to Prof. Dr. Fernando Segovia for his personal recommendation that the manuscript be published in this series, and especially, for his ongoing support, encouragement and wise counsel. I also appreciate Prof. Dr. Katharine Doob Sakenfeld s encouragement that my thesis be published as a monograph, and for her helpful comments. My grateful thanks, too, to the Palgrave Macmillan peer reviewer for suggestions made, which have further improved the work. Drs. Jayakiran Sebastian and Joseph Duggan, Palgrave Macmillan s Postcolonialism and Religions series coeditors also have my sincere thanks Jayakiran for believing in my project, and Joseph for his remarkable generosity in rendering practical advice and invaluable moral support throughout the process of converting my dissertation into a book. In addition, I appreciate Alexis Nelson, Palgrave Macmillan s editorial assistant for her efficient responses to my queries regarding technical issues. I am also immensely thankful to Prof. Athalya Brenner-Idan and Dr. Gale Yee for giving me the opportunity to be a part of their edited volume texts@contexts(exodus and Deuteronomy, 2012) when I was a doctoral candidate; their incisive editorial comments helped sharpen aspects of the work in its early stages. Furthermore, loyal friend David Crookes made it his priority
x Acknowledgments to render helpful suggestions right at the start of my academic journey, and he and my American-grandfather Dr. Duane Priebe deserve special mention for their unfailing support at many points of my journey. My profound thanks, too, to Dr. Nicola Hoggard-Creegan whose unwavering faith in my work empowered me, and Cody F. Miller for allowing me to use his brilliant artwork as my book cover image. I also acknowledge my many wonderful friends in New Zealand, Singapore, and France for their support in all kinds of important ways; you know who you are and I really appreciate each one of you for being friends in need. The project in its original thesis form was made possible with a Ph.D. scholarship from the University of Otago, New Zealand, for which I am tremendously grateful. Grants from the University, Laidlaw College (thank you, Dr. Martin Sutherland) and the Women Writing Theology group in Dunedin also contributed toward my participation in important overseas conferences where I tested out my evolving ideas. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to the librarians of the various libraries I have used in Singapore, France, and especially New Zealand. Most of all, I will be eternally grateful to my late mother, Mollie Song, who taught me the true meaning of empathy and showed me what God s love looked like; my beloved Gee Ee Rosie Song who was the mediator during my own adoption process and continues to be my source of inspiration, and my late uncle Frankie Song who captured my childhood imagination with his exciting stories of close encounters with Japanese soldiers during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. Last but not least, I am blessed to have the loving support of my husband Vincent Perreau; thank you, ch é ri, for making big decisions such as changing jobs and moving countries to be with me, as well as for taking care of the smaller practical details such as helping me to review the manuscript at each stage of the publication process. To all of you, I say: Banyak terima kasih dari dalam hati saya ( Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart in Baba Malay.)
Abbreviations ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 3rd ed. Edited by J. B. Pritchard, Princeton, 1969 BDB Brown, F., S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxf ord, 1907 BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Edited by K. Elliger and W. Rudolph. Stuttgart, 1983 ff and the f ollowing one (s) ISBL International S ociety of B iblical Lite rature JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament: Supplement Series KJB King Ja mes V ersion MT Masoretic T ext NASB New Ame rican S tandard B ible NRSV New Re vised S tandard V ersion PLOS B iol PLOS Biology PMLA Publications of the Modern Language Association of America p(p) page(s) SBL Society of B iblical Lite rature