Woman As Mother And Wife In The African Context Of The Family In The Light Of John Paul Ii S Anthropological And Theological Foundation

This study examines the theological and anthropological foundations of the understanding of the dignity and vocation of woman as a mother and wife, gifts given by God that expresses the riches of the African concept of family. There are two approaches to inculturation theology in Africa, namely, that which attempts to construct African theology by starting from the biblical ecclesial teachings and find from them what features of African culture are relevant to the Christian theological and anthropological values, and the other one which takes the African cultural background as the point of departure. According to John Paul II, the dignity and vocation of woman is “something more universal, based on the very fact of her being a woman within all the interpersonal relationships, which, in the most varied ways, shape society and structure the interaction between all persons,” (Mulieris Dignitatem no. 29). This “concerns each and every woman, independent of the cultural context in which she lives and independently of her spiritual, psychological and physical characteristics, as for example, age, education, health, work, and whether she is married or single,” (Mulieris Dignitatem, no. 29). The theology of inculturation as presented in this dissertation opens the way for the integration of the theological anthropological teachings of John Paul II in understanding African woman as mother and wife.

This study examines the theological and anthropological foundations of the understanding of the dignity and vocation of woman as a mother and wife, gifts given by God that expresses the riches of the African concept of family. There are two approaches to inculturation theology in Africa, namely, that which attempts to construct African theology by starting from the biblical ecclesial teachings and find from them what features of African culture are relevant to the Christian theological and anthropological values, and the other one which takes the African cultural background as the point of departure. According to John Paul II, the dignity and vocation of woman is "something more universal, based on the very fact of her being a woman within all the interpersonal relationships, which, in the most varied ways, shape society and structure the interaction between all persons," (Mulieris Dignitatem no. 29). This "concerns each and every woman, independent of the cultural context in which she lives and independently of her spiritual, psychological and physical characteristics, as for example, age, education, health, work, and whether she is married or single," (Mulieris Dignitatem, no. 29). The theology of inculturation as presented in this dissertation opens the way for the integration of the theological anthropological teachings of John Paul II in understanding African woman as mother and wife.

This volume describes the context and methodology of Christian theology by Africans in the past two decades and provides brief descriptions of sample treatments of theological issues, such as creation, Christology, ecclesiology and eschatology. The aim of the book is to lead interested persons to the sources of African women's Christian theology. Throughout an effort has been made to illustrate how African culture and the multi-religious context has influenced Christian women's selection of theological issues. The importance of daily life to theology and the attempt to probe the spirituality of African Christian women is also evident in this introduction to African women's theology.

Combining Catholic social teaching, feminist and African liberation theology, and the social sciences, Joseph Loïc Mben, SJ, develops a contextual gendered African Christian social ethic that addresses the oppression and marginalization of working women in Sub-Saharan Africa. He focuses primarily on African women from working and poor classes living in either urban or rural settings, particularly in Cameroon, and thus shows the necessity of inflecting Catholic social teaching along the differential of gender.

Audrey Smedley offers a unique interpretation of the role of women in traditional patrilineal societies. Her research with the Birom people of Nigeria reveals that one reason for the dominance of patrilyny as an organizing principle in human societies is that many of its critical features were in fact invented by women. She raises new questions about the nature of patrilineal systems, and why women have protected and promoted the values and principles of patrilyny in many societies. Smedley's study of the Birom contradicts the vision of women as passive agents in the construction of social realities. She shows how relationships among men are more rigidly cast than those among women, or between women and men. Individual chapters explore the nature of gender distinctions, how they evolved historically, and how women's decision-making contributes to the successful exploitation of their environment. Smedley critiques Western feminist philosophy and beliefs as they have been applied to indigenous African peoples. This book is a contribution to new global studies that document the realities of women's lives that often contradict Western assumptions. Her book will be a valuable resource for researchers in anthropological kinship and theory, gender studies, race & ethnicity, and African studies.

This book presents a story of the experiences of being church of the pastors’ wives within the Baptist Convention of Malawi (BACOMA). Formed in 1970 out of the missionary endeavours of the North American-based Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), BACOMA is a voluntary national association of Baptist churches. Molly Longwe‘s book presents a concise picture of African Feminist Theology and to relates it to the lived experiences of pastors‘ wives in the Baptist Convention of Malawi.

African women theologians have written extensively about problems in gender relations in African contexts, identifying oppressive elements and their effects on women's self-concept and status in the church, family, and society. This book provides much-needed pastoral theological attention and a response to the psychospiritual, relational, and sociocultural effects of gender injustice and marginalization of women. It critically examines concepts, methods, and principles of family systems theory, analyzes gender relations in African families and churches, and develops a theology of pastoral care (based on the Trinitarian concept of perichoresis) that offers pastoral guidelines for effective pastoral counseling with women and men, as well as recommendations for corrective and preventative care grounded in educational strategies. The paradigm of pastoral care that emerges attends both to women affected by gender injustice and to the sociocultural norms that cause distress and perpetuate gender oppression.

Offering an intimate look at the lives of African women trying to reconcile motherhood with new professional roles, the author argues that Beti women delay motherhood as part of a broader attempt to assert a modern form of honor only recently made possible by formal education, Catholicism, and economic change.