Constructive Theology from Postcolonial and Decolonial Perspectives: Unsettling Empire

This edited collection deconstructs and reimagines the major doctrines of the Christian faith from various postcolonial and decolonial perspectives.
Across eighteen chapters, Eleazar S. Fernandez and the contributors respond to the need for a postcolonial critique of religion, particularly Christianity. Each essay, through the postcolonial optic, names a salient classical point of Christian doctrine, exposing and deconstructing hegemonic religious ideas and practices. In doing so, the authors articulate theologies that both decolonize and construct liberating ways of thinking, dwelling, and acting for the sake of our shared flourishing. Each section focuses on a specific branch of inquiry, offering a multifaceted approach to relevant topics such as theological method, God and creation, humanity and society, Christology, and church communities and rituals from a post/decolonial perspective. By bringing together scholars from around the world, each with distinct experiences of colonialism, this volume offers a nuanced discussion of the colonial histories that shape Christianity and the ripe post/decolonial futures that await those impacted by colonialism. Ultimately, this book responds to Christianity's continued entanglements with empire, racism, patriarchy, and neoliberalism, calling for a theological reckoning that moves beyond critique toward the construction of liberating alternatives.