Abstract
This thesis revisits the issue of tofi or ‘inheritance’ in the Hagar-Ishmael narrative, in particular in Genesis 21:10-14, where the promise narrative culminates in Ishmael’s loss of inheritance through a negative portrayal of his legitimacy. Here Ishmael’s status as Abraham’s firstborn son was denied, and his Suli Taumanava/Tautoto (‘heir by blood’ or ‘offspring’) received no share of Abraham’s inheritance, had no claim on it, and had no historic rights in the Promised Land, Canaan. However, to ‘cast out’ Hagar and Ishmael was a breach of both the biblical law and surrogacy customs in the Ancient Near East.
A cross-examination of this ‘election theology’ reveals that it is also inconsistent with Samoan customary understandings of inheritance under the three categories of Suli: (i) Suli Taumanava/Tautoto (heir by birth/blood), (ii) Suli Vaetama (heir through adoption); and (iii) Suli Tautua (heir through service), which are the highest customary qualifications of traditional heirs.
A Samoan biblical, theological, and hermeneutical trajectory from a colonial to a postcolonial reading encourages the ancient biblical narrative of ‘election’ and ‘diselection’ to be re-read and reinterpreted through an inclusive, relational and indigenous lens. Thus, “Suli Hermeneutics” stemming from ‘Moana theologies’ concludes that Ishmael’s expulsion was politically motivated, and that theology and practice built on this event is not consistent with the fuller biblical witness. Such dis-election was unwarranted, unfair, and unjustified, and this has implications for threats to Sāmoan Sulis’ inheritance as protectors of the sacred land. This underlines the importance of a careful reading of scriptures in ways that do justice to non-Western perspectives, and which have implications for contemporary Moana, Samoa and other indigenous societies today.