Kocheri disputerade i post-kolonial historia vid University of Birmingham under 2021 och arbetar idag vid St Aloysius Autonomous College, Mangalore, Indien. I centrum står den så kallade ”slavbibeln”, en starkt redigerad, och föga studerad, bibelutgåva som producerades för bruk på plantager i Västindien. Projektet har möjliggjorts genom anslag från Crafoordska stiftelsen. Varmt välkommen!
Nedan följer en koncentrerad presentation av projektet:
The purpose of this project is to investigate the production, dissemination, and possible cultural impact of the Slave Bible as a religious artefact in the West Indies and how it imposed a form of British colonial and national identity through the imposition of Christianity. In a three-layered analysis, the focus of the first section will be a detailed examination of the theological, political, and cultural motivations and procedures linked with the production of the book; the missionary societies associated with it; and the individuals who advocated its publication. The next focal point will be the materiality of the Slave Bible, including production and dissemination. The project will investigate its publishing house and location, the number of copies printed, and, if possible, names of its recipients. Equal attention will be applied to physical aspects of the Slave Bible, such as its size, binding, paper, and paratextual features. The final emphasis will be on the textual contents, especially on the exclusion and inclusion of specific passages and the results associated with such an editorial process. Through this investigation, the project can bring out the cultural impact of the Bible on the indigenous population and slaves and how they engaged with it both personally and collectively.