The imperative of development - A third public challenge to computerised biblical scholarship

The aim of this paper is to stimulate the theme and field of the Bible and computers which had been initiated by the Association Internationale Bible et Informatique over the last two decades. The author argues that in the context of Africa and the Third World this theme and field should lead socially minded, computer skilled scholars and readers of the Bible to concern themselves with the issue of development. Following the distinction between the three publics of theology (the university, the community of faith and society at large) in current hermeneutical and public theological debates, it is proposed that the active involvement of this group must be understood essentially in terms of the mode of the third public. Beyond the emphasis on the formal terrain of public policy-making, it is argued that the idea and political world of the new social movements (peace, human rights, women, environment, democracy, culture, people-centred development, etc) is particularly relevant here. This identification of the new social movements leads the author to emphasise the analytic and strategic framework presented by the new communication perspective in the social sciences. It is indicated how writers of this perspective present a social theoretical understanding that can be taken as most appropriate (authentic) in terms of the dynamics that determine contemporary global society, and a strategic development mobilisation around the new social movements and a new civil society in embryo. A dynamics and strategic mobilisation which the author finds most appropriately defined in Manuel Castells' conceptuallisation of the 'Network Society, the paper concludes by proposing six modes of involvement which ought to give important guidance to socially minded, computer skilled scholars and readers of the Bible in their endeavour to promote development in this society.