Catch the Bird But Watch the Wave: A Pacific Sociorhetorical Reading of Luke 18:18-30

This contextual biblical reading of Luke 18:18-30 (the encounter between Jesus and the rich ruler) foregrounds the political and economic context of the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). The reading carefully explores the biblical text's context, an exploration that includes looking at specific intertextual sources and engaging scholars from Asian and African contexts. The reading is then applied to a contextual biblical approach to poverty in Samoan society. The contextual biblical reading resituates the ruler in the Lukan narrative within the context of the household and the institutional constraints of its ecological environment. The theoretical framework for the contextual biblical reading is guided by the Samoan proverb seu le manu ae taga'i ile galu (catch the bird and watch the wave), symbolizing responsibility and restraint in biblical interpretation. At the end of the contextual biblical reading, a new way of reading Luke is presented, and three broad propositions are suggested for further consideration. The main argument of this deep contextual reading of the Lukan passage is that the rich ruler offers a different form of "following," which is possible by "living responsibly with wealth."

About the Author :
Fatilua Fatilua is a lecturer of the New Testament at Malua Theological College, Apia, Samoa. He holds a PhD in public administration and policy from the State University of New York (Albany) and a PhD in New Testament from the Pacific Theological College, Suva, Fiji. He is an ordained minister in the Congregational Christian Church, Samoa. Vernon K. Robbins is Professor of Religion at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. He contributed to The Passon in Mark (1976) and authored Jesus the Teacher (1984).

Review :
"Fatilua's interpretation of the Lukan story of the rich man who went away grieving is guided by the Samoan tradition of sailing across the oceans and then returning to Samoa to live once more among his own village, country, and people. As Fatilua travels academically throughout Asian, African, and North American biblical interpretation to catch the bird (a satisfactory interpretation) while watching the wave (modern currents of biblical scholarship), he keeps his eye on God's call to discipleship from his parents, community, nation, and Pacific Island region." --Vernon K. Robbins, professor emeritus of religion, Emory University "This is a catchable work. It helps make sociorhetorical criticism usable in Samoa and Pasifika, and it helps make Samoa and Pasifika understandable to biblical critics worldwide. Fatilua identifies the manu (bird, bait) that readers (as tautai, fisherfolk) could catch to help them engage ancient biblical texts, as well as invites current and future generations of biblical critics to also catch the visions of their mothers and ancestors." --Jione Havea, editor of Theologies from the Pacific "This is an unusually and refreshingly frank, self-reflective, constructive, and wide-ranging reading of the rich ruler passage in Luke 18, employing sociorhetorical criticism and situating the text's appropriation in the complex context of Samoa. Even if one does not agree with certain interpretative or hermeneutical arguments employed, this book is worth engaging with." --Holger Szesnat, postgraduate coordinator, Martin Luther Seminary "This excellent work by Fatilua continues the standard of using Vernon K. Robbins's socio-historical approach with other hermeneutics, methods, and interpretations to integrate the Samoan language, society, institutions, and culture into biblical interpretations. Fatilua, as a tautai (fisherman or steersman) in this book, has caught the bird of finding the meaning of the text relevant to his Samoan context while watching other waves of interpretations of the text. Tautai A'e (Great work)!" --Vaitusi Nofoaiga, principal, Malua Theological College