@article{ART003251610},
author={Yoon-Kyung Lee},
title={A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel},
journal={Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies},
issn={1229-0521},
year={2025},
volume={31},
number={4},
pages={342-371}
TY - JOUR
AU - Yoon-Kyung Lee
TI - A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel
JO - Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies
PY - 2025
VL - 31
IS - 4
PB - Korean Society of Old Testament Studies
SP - 342
EP - 371
SN - 1229-0521
AB - This article explores the application of postcolonial criticism to biblical hermeneutics, with a focus on a postcolonial reading of the Book of Daniel. Postcolonial criticism arises from the recognition that colonialism’s influence extends beyond historical political control to ongoing structures of language, identity, and knowledge production. In biblical studies, this approach has prompted critical inquiry into the Bible’s function within imperial contexts and opened space for localized, resistant interpretations.
The Hellenistic context in which Daniel was written reveals how Jewish communities navigated cultural imposition, particularly the ideological dominance of Greek culture. Hellenism, claiming cultural superiority, reshaped Jewish identity in profound ways. In response, the first half of the book of Daniel presents a theology of resistance, urging fidelity to covenantal faith even under pressure to assimilate. The narrative challenges readers to consider the limits of accommodation and the necessity of defiant self-definition. The location of Daniel becomes a site of hybrid identity—neither fully Jerusalem nor Babylon. The spatial and cultural in-betweenness symbolizes a broader diasporic reality where identity is forged not through surrender, but negotiation. The narrative thus reflects the complexity of living under empire while resisting its totalizing influence. The apocalyptic visions in the latter half of the book of Daniel constitute a theological and literary critique of imperial power. Under Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ violent regime, faithful Jews confronted not only persecution but also deep theological dissonance: How can divine justice exist amid imperial violence? Daniel responds with a radical reimagining of history, envisioning the collapse of earthly empires and the emergence of a transcendent divine kingdom. Empire in Daniel is not merely military—it is rhetorical, symbolic, and psychological. By crafting an alternative symbolic world, Daniel’s apocalyptic imagination destabilizes the ideological hold of empire and affirms the possibility of divine intervention. Ultimately, Daniel offers a model of hybrid, diasporic faith that resists erasure and reclaims theological agency through postcolonial imagination.
KW - Postcolonial;the Book of Daniel;Hybridity;Hellenism;Imperial Imaginary
DO -
UR -
ER -
Yoon-Kyung Lee. (2025). A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel. Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies, 31(4), 342-371.
Yoon-Kyung Lee. 2025, "A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel", Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies, vol.31, no.4 pp.342-371.
Yoon-Kyung Lee "A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel" Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies 31.4 pp.342-371 (2025) : 342.
Yoon-Kyung Lee. A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel. 2025; 31(4), 342-371.
Yoon-Kyung Lee. "A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel" Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies 31, no.4 (2025) : 342-371.
Yoon-Kyung Lee. A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel. Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies, 31(4), 342-371.
Yoon-Kyung Lee. A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel. Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies. 2025; 31(4) 342-371.
Yoon-Kyung Lee. A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel. 2025; 31(4), 342-371.
Yoon-Kyung Lee. "A Postcolonial Reading on the Book of Daniel" Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies 31, no.4 (2025) : 342-371.
