Dreams In The African Church

A consideration of the place of dreams in daily life, and their significance as interpreted by a representative body of African Christians.

"This is a substantial contribution to the understanding of an important aspect of African Christianity; the place of dreams in daily life, and their significance as interpreted by a representative body of African Christians ..."--Andrew Walls

The contributors to this investigation of dreaming in a diversity of African cultures and settings have each approached the matter with a respect for an indigenous discourse which does not necessarily subscribe to Western evaluations of the objective and subjective. The matter of dreaming is not so much a psychological constant as ultimately sociological and historical. Dream discourse as a strategy deploys contingencies in the elaboration of social relationships and the defence, restoration and promotion of identities. Dreaming is therefore prominent in such critical settings as sickness and healing, artistic inspiration and craftwork, election to religious office, conversion to Islam or Christianity.

It is communion Sunday at a mixed-race church. A black pastor and white head elder stand before the sanctuary as lay leaders pass out the host. An African-American woman sings a gospel song as a woman of Asian descent plays the piano. Then a black woman in the congregation throws her hands up and yells, over and over, "Thank you Lawd!" A few other African-Americans in the pews say "Amen," while white parishioners sit stone-faced. The befuddled white head elder reads aloud from the Bible, his soft voice drowned out by the shouts of praise. Even in this proudly interracial church, America's racial divide is a constant presence. In The Elusive Dream, Korie L. Edwards presents the surprising results of an in-depth study of interracial churches: they help perpetuate the very racial inequality they aim to abolish. To arrive at this conclusion, she combines a nuanced analysis of national survey data with an in-depth examination of one particular church. She shows that mixed-race churches adhere strongly to white norms. African Americans in multiracial settings adapt their behavior to make white congregants comfortable. Behavior that white worshipers perceive as out of bounds is felt by blacks as too limiting. Yet to make interracial churches work, blacks must adjust their behavior to accommodate the predilections of whites. They conform to white expectations in church just as they do elsewhere. Thorough, incisive, and surprising, The Elusive Dream raises provocative questions about the ongoing problem of race in the national culture.

What is the reality of being African, woman, and Christian? In this collection of original essays, African women theologians write about the life and dreams, the sorrows and joys of African women in a continent where religion shapes the whole of life. The first two parts of the book describe the role of women in terms of culture, rites of passage, and daily life. Attitudes toward birthing and naming, marriage and widowhood, polygamy, prostitution, and death are all explored. The third part focuses on the church, reviewing biblical attitudes toward women, and showing how African women can and should contribute to the life of the Christian church. Contributors: Musimbi R. A. Kanyoro Mercy Amba Oduyoye Rosemary N. Edet Anne Nasimiyu-Wasike Daisy N. Nwachuku Rabiatu Ammah Judith Mbula Bahemuka Lloyda Fanusie Bernadette Mbuy Beya Teresa M. Hinga Anne Nachisale Musopole R. Modupe Owanikin Teresa Okure ÒThe themes in 'The Will to Arise' constitute the base of contemporary African women's theological scholarship. . . . At their most creative, these theologians affirm cultural traditions and criticize their failings, in order to lead the reader to new visions that can renew religious life in our various contexts. --from the Foreword by Katie G. Cannon