Mata o Masiasi (Face of Shame): Resituating Paul’s Fool’s Speech Within the Contours of Samoan Rhetoric

This essay offers an example of Pacific Island biblical contextual reading. My approach draws on ‘Western’ methods (specifically sociorhetorical interpretation) but adapts and locates them for a Samoan cultural context. In this context, humour and derision can help save face in situations where violence and disorder may occur. The phrase mata o masiasi (face of shame) is utilized in Samoan society for such a purpose. This is an essential aspect of Samoan rhetoric, especially in a community where nurturing and sustaining the va (space-in-between, betweenness) is the sine qua non. The va is the relational space that is foundational to all relationships in society. Resituating the fool’s speech of 2 Corinthians 11.1–12.10 within an indigenous Samoan-inspired framework leads to new questions regarding the biblical text with the goal of resituating the biblical text to make sense in my Samoan context.