CHAPTER THREE GOSPEL AND CULTURE
3.4 African Women's Theologians and Culture
"Then God said, let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them...So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:26-27)
Among the issues that contribute to the refusal to accept the Imago Dei in everyone, is the issue of culture. There can be no_argument that culture has been the main cause of the oppressive structures in African societies, especially in regard to the oppression of women.
Mildred Ndeda defines oppression as,
Imposition of the will of a certain person or group upon another person or group which may take the form of structural (repressive
| cultural customs) or more personalized forms of oppression. These can be expressed in the forms of external and internalized oppression.
Externalized oppression is manifested through androcentrism, exclusion and subjection. Androcentrism is the habit of thinking about , the world, ourselves and all that is in the world from the male I' perspectives. It downs or silences the women's voices and perceptions
by continual out pouring of male perceptions into the world (2004:2).
In other words, androcentrism can be defined as male centered worldview, which does not value or include female perceptions, critique and contribution. It becomes clearer in the occasion when women are not permitted to define themselves or their roles but simply discover that "they have been defined and categorized by others so they become the silent other" (Ndeda 2004:2). Women are then perceived as non-men, those who have neither the status nor the roles of men. Very often women are defined in terms of their relationship with men.
This argument will be very important to us especially in the next chapter (s) when we shall be considering the changing patterns of culture that have weakened or washed away the institution of polygamy that has dominated the African scene from time immemorial.
These forms of oppression being androcentrism, exclusion or subjection have one thing in common; they are imposed by men serving in various categories of life "hence all of them can be encompassed under the rubric of patriarchy, which literary means the rule of the father or by men for the benefit of men" (Ibid).
i In response to the African cultural oppressive structures, African women theologians established an institution that researches on women's experiences in Africa. In 1989 African women theology was officially recognized and highlightened in Accra Ghana by the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. As Phiri (1997:69) notes, the Circle originally defined African women as daughters of Africa living South of the Sahara whose lives are influenced by Christianity and African culture. At the present time the Circle has gone beyond that, and it embraces all women of Africa regardless of status, creed, religion, colour and educational background.
The main purpose of the formation of this forum is the liberation of women from the oppressive structures in both the society and the religious institutions especially the Church. Commenting on this Phiri (1997:11) says
j The construction of womanhood by patriarchy is one of the central J issues for feminist theologians globally and particularly in Africa C] because it has influenced the way women and the roles that women
can play in African Church and society are imaged. Patriarchy has s/ jiefined[women as inferior to men thereby perpetuating the oppression
1 of women by religion and culture.
The conditions and status of African women have been something that men do not want to discuss, but as for women theologians it is something that ought to be discussed as the urgency of the moment. Kanyoro observes the conditions of African women by saying that:
African women are custodian of cultural practices, for generations, African women have guarded cultural prescriptions that are strictly governed by the fear of breaking taboos. Many aspects that diminish women continue to be practiced to various degrees, often making women objects of cultural preservation. Harmful traditional practices are passed on as "cultural values" and therefore are not to be discussed, challenged or changed. In the guise of culture, harmful
practices and traditions are perpetuated. Practices such as female genital mutilation, early betrothals and marriages, and somatization of single women and widows, [polygamy, domestic violence] hinder the liberation of women (2001:159).
Oduyoye (1995:3) argues that, for years women have been carrying the knowledge that men were oppressing them, but the conditions were not suitable for them to raise their voices. She says, "Over time, African women had to learn to know their oppressors but had held their peace, because "when your hand is in someone's mouth, you do not hit that person on the head."
Kanyoro (2001:164) suggests that in order for African Women's liberation theology to achieve its goal, cultural hermeneutics should be regarded as very important and first step towards that goal. This is because "all questions regarding the welfare and status of women in Africa are explained within the framework of culture." And in her insightful work.
Introducing Feminist Cultural Hermeneutics an African Perspective (2002), she suggests how hermeneutics should be done. In summary this is what she suggests; The Church should be open to change and at the same time it should maintain the tension that exists between gospel and culture. According to her, this tension will automatically invite dialogue between Christianity and African religious cultures. "Cultural hermeneutics can also be used as a method of dialogue between Christianity and African Religions." She is of the view that when dealing with the aspects of gospel and culture these three questions should be applied: "How is difference a problem to gospel and culture?" "What option might we consider when dealing with differences?" And lastly "how do we theologize once we recognize the difference?" For her, difference is not a problem but a reality that can be good and creative. "What is required of cultural hermeneutics is to sift the good aspects of the culture and religion and affirm them, knowing that there is room to reject what is bad"
(:65-71).
In summary I share the views of African women theologians that the oppression of women by culture should be discussed theologically. 1 am also in agreement with their insistence that culture is not static and has to change for the well being of women as persons created
in the Image of God {Imago Dei) like their male counterparts. This is a call from the voices that the society should hear- including Mara societies. So the society needs to rise to the occasion and address the teething problems that are eating away the society in Africa.
These teething problems includes the stereotypes that have underpinned women among other issues and are tantamount to the self refusal to be the self she was meant to be; the refusal to accept the Imago Dei in every one.
According to Hillman, this is the time of change when people are expected to see and perceive things in a different way, or rather in a more positive way; a time "to learn from others." This is a call to transcend our own cultural limitations and congenital blindness (1976: 60). More about women theologians will be discussed in the next chapter.
Mbiti (1976:281) defines evil elements in the culture as the demons of culture "which only the Gospel is equipped to exorcise and disarm." So it is my concern that we should define the term Gospel before we engage ourselves into the discussion on the relationship between the Gospel and culture. This is to say that the next point will be the definition of the term Gospel.