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42 Jurimetrics 209 (2001-2002)
Genes, Religious, and History: The Creation of a Discourse of Origin Among a Judaizing African Tribe

handle is hein.journals/juraba42 and id is 219 raw text is: GENES, RELIGION, AND HISTORY: THE CREATION OF A DISCOURSE OF ORIGIN AMONG A JUDAIZING AFRICAN TRIBE Tudor Parfitt* ABSTRACT: A striking achievement of modernism is the overall success of the natural sciences in explaining a wide range of human conditions-not least, the condition posited by the enlightenment that all men are equal, and that our shared and common humanity can be reduced to an ultimate chemical basis. However, the rapid development of genetic science is in many ways anti-modernist. Many of the supposed differences in peoples, nations, and sexes appear to find some sort of corroboration in the differences found in group and individual genetic make-up. This paper looks at the historical tradition of a small African tribe, the Lemba. In recent years, genetic findings have entered the discourse of tribal origins. Perceptions of genetic research substantially bolster and modify issues of group self-identity and, in addition, provide ammunition both for conservative forces in the preservation of their prejudices and for liberal groups who seek the elimination of differences among peoples. CITATION: Tudor Parfitt, Genes, Religion, and History: The Creation of a Discourse of Origin Among a Judaizing African Tribe, 42 Jurimetrics J. 209-219 (2002). The groups most likely to be influenced by, and indeed invoke, some sort of genetic evidence with respect to their origins are those that harbor a certain ambiguity about themselves. Societies whose traditions and culture exhibit a sort of motleyness-whose borders with other groups are the least differentiated- show the keenest interest in their origins. The United States provides a telling *Tudor Parfitt is Director, Centre for Jewish Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. WINTER 2002 209

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