This wide-ranging Reader provides a comprehensive survey of the interaction between postcolonial criticism and biblical studies.

• 
  
• Examines how various empires such as the Persian and Roman affected biblical narratives.
  
• Demonstrates how different biblical writers such as Paul, Matthew and Mark handled the challenges of empire.
  
• Includes examples of the practical application of postcolonial criticism to biblical texts.
  
• Considers contemporary issues such as diaspora, race, representation and territory.
  
• Editorial commentary draws out the key points to be made and creates a coherent narrative.

R. S. Sugirtharajah is Professor of Biblical Hermeneutics at the University of Birmingham. Prior to his current appointment, he was Senior Lecturer in Third World Theologies at Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham. His previous publications include Postcolonial Reconfigurations (2003), Postcolonial Criticism and Biblical Interpretation (2002), The Bible and the Third World (2001), and The Bible and Empire: Postcolonial Explorations (2005).