Scripture and Context in Conversation: The Ethiopian <i>Andəmta</i> Interpretative Tradition

Abstract

The Ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Church has a rich historical and religious heritage that is shaped and anchored by the scriptural  interpretation of the andəmta interpretive tradition. The Ethiopian andəmta interpretive tradition uses Scripture in dialogue with the Ethiopian context through translating Ethiopic (Ge’ez) into Amharic and presenting different interpretations and applications of the text considering different horizons of readers. The sensitivity to the cultural context is an important aspect of contextualization to address the  needs of the people to whom Scripture is being applied, and this is an extensive practice in the Ethiopian interpretive tradition. This  article argues that the Ethiopian Church has possessed the most ancient Bible in the Ethiopic language and uses a unique interpretive  tradition that focuses on the textual context and the context of the reader, presenting alternative interpretive options. Therefore, the  Ethiopian andəmta interpretative tradition enables us to engage in an ongoing dialogue between Scripture and context to shape  positively the context of the reader. In addition, it facilitates scriptural teaching by presenting an alternative application for an individual biblical text. Further, the emphasis on the andəmta interpretive tradition, with the awareness of balancing both the textual context and  the context of the reader, opens a better understanding of the text and its application for contemporary readers.