Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As the title suggests, this research is a study of primogeniture in the Old Testament towards a theological-ethical understanding of patriarchy in ancient Israel. Using the Ancient Near East as a wider context of the Old Testament, the research first analysed the Ancient Near East texts relating to primogeniture, i.e., texts relating to inheritance and succession. In so doing the research reveals that primogeniture was a generally practiced custom of most of the Ancient Near East societies, serving as a cornerstone for their patriarchal culture. The research also demonstrates that there were exceptions to the rule. For example, the Elamites practiced matrilineal and matrilocal customs. Within the general practice of primogeniture among most of the Ancient Near East societies, firstborns were often displaced in favour of younger sons. In some cases, daughters and wives could also inherit and own properties, although succession to the throne by daughters was rare. The central focus of the research is a socio-rhetorical criticism of the primogeniture text of Deuteronomy 21:15-17. Like in the Ancient Near East, this study also discovers that primogeniture was a generally practiced custom as well as a cornerstone of ancient Israel’s patriarchy. However, exceptions to this rule in ancient Israel seemed to be even more notorious than in those of other ancient Near East societies. The custom was often not followed. Daughters could also inherit. Firstborns were displaced by their younger brothers for prime heirship of the family as well as succession to the throne. This violation of primogeniture custom was theologically and ethically qualified and politically and ideologically appropriated. The research thus concludes that these theological-ethical qualifications as well as political-ideological appropriation of the violation of primogeniture based on socio-economic and religious-political changes of society indicate that patriarchy according to the Old Testament is not a static divine blueprint for all societies of all generations. Rather, patriarchy in ancient Israel was a dynamic socio-historical and theologicalethical process which was subjected to change, modification, reinterpretation, and re-appropriation according to socio-economic and religious-political developments of a given society. In the name of patriarchy, women had been denied their rights, robbed of their dignity and worth, and regarded as a second class image of God in many societies, then and now. Committed to correcting these wrongs, this research – arguing that patriarchy in the Old Testament is not so much a privilege as it is to a responsibility – challenges the contemporary hierarchical patriarchal ideologies, and contends for gender equality in all walks of life, remembering that we are all created equally in the image of God. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Soos die titel aandui, dek hierdie studie eersgeborenheid in die Ou Testament om 'n teologies-etiese begrip van die patriargie in antieke Israel te bewerkstellig. Teen die Antieke Nabye Ooste (ANO) as wyer konteks van die Ou Testament, analiseer die navorsing ten eerste die ONO-tekste wat betrekking het op eersgeborenheid, met ander woorde tekste wat verwys na vererwing en opvolging. In die proses het die navorsing aan die lig gebring dat eersgeborenheid 'n wydverspreide praktyk in die meeste ANOgemeenskappe was en as hoeksteen vir hul voortbestaan en patriargale stelsels gedien het. Die navorsing het ook aangetoon dat uitsonderings op hierdie reël voorgekom het. So het die Elamiete byvoorbeeld matriliniêre gebruike gehad, asook waar die man by die vrou se familie gaan woon het. In die algemene gebruik van eersgeborenheid onder meeste van die ANO-gemeenskappe, is eersgeborenes dikwels vervang ten gunste van jonger seuns. In sommige gevalle kon dogters en eggenotes ook erflatings ontvang en vaste eiendomme besit, alhoewel troonopvolging deur dogters baie selde voorgekom het. Die sentrale fokus van die navorsing is 'n sosioretoriese kritiek op die eersgeborenheidsteks in Deuteronomium 21:15-17. Soos ten opsigte van die ANO, het die studie ook vasgestel dat eersgeborenheid 'n algemeen aanvaarde praktyk en ook hoeksteen van antieke Israel se patriargie gevorm het. Maar die uitsonderings op hierdie reël in antieke Israel was skynbaar selfs meer opspraakwekkend as in ander ANOgemeenskappe. Die gebruik is dikwels nie nagevolg nie. Dogters kon ook vererf. Eersgeborenes is deur hul jonger broers vir die belangrikste erfporsie van die familie vervang, asook vir troonopvolging. Hierdie verbreking van die eersgeborenheidsgebruik is teologies en eties gekwalifiseer en polities en ideologies toegepas. Die navorsing kom dus tot die gevolgtrekking dat hierdie teologies-etiese kwalifikasies, asook die polities-ideologiese toepassing van die verbreking van eersgeborenheid, gebaseer op sosio-ekonomiese en religieus-politieke veranderinge in die gemeenskap, aandui dat patriargie volgens die Ou testament nie 'n statiese, godgegewe bloudruk vir alle gemeenskappe van alle generasies daarstel nie. Patriargie in antieke Israel was eerder 'n dinamiese sosiohistoriese en telogies-etiese proses, wat onderworpe was aan verandering, aanpassing, herinterpretasie en hertoepassing ingevolge soio-ekonomiese en religieus-politieke ontwikkelinge van 'n gegewe gemeenskap. In die naam van patriargie is vroue in baie gemeenskappe, destyds en vandag nog, ontneem van hul regte, van hul waardigheid en van hul waarde gestroop en beskou as 'n tweede klas beeld van God. Hierdie navorsing is toegewy aan die regstel van hierdie onregte en is van mening dat patriargie in die Ou testament nie sodanig 'n voorreg was nie as 'n verantwoordelikheid en daag daarmee die hedendaagse hiërargiese patriargale ideologieë uit. Dit spreek hom uit ten gunste van geslagsgelykheid in alle gebiede van die lewe, met in ag neming dat ons almal gelyk geskape is in die beeld van God.

This exploration involves the influence of a system of patriarchy on both women and men in an inclusive way within business context. The work attempts to move away from dualisms that stereotypically define gender according to patriarchy. The challenge of this work is to find ways of describing women and men that is less defined by gender and more about our similarities as human beings. It has been suggested in the research that the business environment is still a male dominated environment. It is therefore the intention of this work to encourage ways of defining ourselves that one person does not hold benefit one over another in an abusive way. As the system of patriarchy has been endorsed by the church, the research considers how the pastoral therapist may be relevant to the business environment. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th - Specialising in Pastoral Therapy

The exposition of patriarchy and feminism in this thesis points toward the difficulty women experienced in the past, and in many cases still do, in their pursuit for equality in a male dominated society. Without feminists’ consciousness raising concerning women’s oppression, women might still be under patriarchal domination, oppression, and marginalisation; in fact, many still are. As a result, many women today can reject the views that men are superior, stronger, and more rational than they are, and that God created men to dominate on male-female relations. In their struggle against patriarchy, some feminists however, began to transform Biblical images and language for God, with the result that masculine images of God were simply replaced with feminine images, presenting God as androgynous and not as a Deity who transcends sexuality. God’s identity thus, in my opinion, became obscured. In this thesis I argue that both patriarchy and feminism have contributed to our experiencing difficulties when we try to identity with a loving and caring God as portrayed in Scripture. Daly’s outrage and anger against men and the Christian faith, as well as her decision to turn away from Christianity on the basis of its patriarchy, I judge to be, for various reasons given in this thesis, a negative influence in this debate. She is undoubtedly one of the most radical feminists of the past decades and her slogan “since God is male, the male is God” implies that in order for women to become liberated they require the emasculation of God. Daly’s line of reasoning is that Christianity is a male structure with a Scripture that is irredeemably patriarchal. Her belief that Christians are fixated upon the person of Jesus, a male, and that, therefore, women have to overcome this idolatry needs serious questioning. Her radical views have created disunity and separatism between women who are striving to answer life-changing questions / Philosophy and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

This dissertation is concerned with pastoral care with men in the Anglican Church. It is grounded in the rapidly changing post-apartheid years in the East Rand region of South Africa. It seeks to explore through participatory action research the negative effects of patriarchy as a discourse of power and entitlement on the lives of men of differing cultures in South Africa as victims and perpetrators of abuse. It also seeks to explore ways of pastorally caring with men through the creation of participative care groups that enable personal stories of men to be told, invitations to responsibility for abuse made, and the negative effects of patriarchal cultural and theological discourse deconstructed, and alternate understandings of masculinity constructed and performed. The work is done from a contextual theology, pro-feminist perspective, and collaborating with postmodern philosophers Derrida and Foucault, the social anthropologist Bruner and the narrative therapists White, Epston and Jenkins. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology, Specialisation in Pastoral Therapy

This dissertation is concerned with pastoral care with men in the Anglican Church. It is grounded in the rapidly changing post-apartheid years in the East Rand region of South Africa. It seeks to explore through participatory action research the negative effects of patriarchy as a discourse of power and entitlement on the lives of men of differing cultures in South Africa as victims and perpetrators of abuse. It also seeks to explore ways of pastorally caring with men through the creation of participative care groups that enable personal stories of men to be told, invitations to responsibility for abuse made, and the negative effects of patriarchal cultural and theological discourse deconstructed, and alternate understandings of masculinity constructed and performed. The work is done from a contextual theology, pro-feminist perspective, and collaborating with postmodern philosophers Derrida and Foucault, the social anthropologist Bruner and the narrative therapists White, Epston and Jenkins. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology, Specialisation in Pastoral Therapy

“The power of sex to dominate and the ability of power to obtain sex in order to dominate” is at the crux of the researchers’ investigation. The researcher problematizes the usage of power for the attainment of sexual favours. At the heart of this research is the question, what is at the root of the exploitation and “sexifying” of power by either the granter or the recipients of sexual favours. The researcher utilises various lenses in exploring the research problem. Such lenses include a social lens which zooms in at the social power possessed by men over women in society and a theological lens which zooms in on the domination of men over women in scripture. In an attempt to explore the subject at hand, the author explores the role of patriarchy, unequal opportunities between men and women and poverty as some of the primary proponents for those who offer themselves as sex objects to those in power. In most cases, it is women who are at the suffering end of poverty; it is also women who are forced to use their bodies for sex, this, therefore, means that women are doubly oppressed. Part of the socialised “sexual oppression” of women is the notion that women were created for marriage, work, labour and the pleasure of men. Anthropologically, men and women are the crown of creation and are worthy of dignity. It is, therefore, a necessity for women to reclaim their dignity. The researcher is aware of the complex nature of sex which varies from negative to positive experiences depending on the individual. In a society that views sex as a commodity and is permissive in its perception of sex, in a society that has a high rate of pornography, swinging and swapping. The researcher probes the “humanising” of sex so that it is not just a physical activity but an intimate act of love and affection. The principles for the above involves viewing sex as personal and relational; sex as exclusive and unique; sex as fruitful and productive; sex and selfless and sacrificial and an acknowledgement of sex as multi-dimensional. Though the writer comes from a religious background and is the Wesleyan tradition, though she converses with a faith community in Eersterust as part of her quantitative research; she does not evade confronting the reality of the bible as a document flawed with patriarchy, clothed in culture and set in a particular context. The author who is Wesleyan draws from this rich heritage and compares the times of John Wesley which were characterised by, “Champagne, dice or a neighbour’s spouse” to the South African context. She utilises the Wesleyan quadrilateral to draw these parallels. All these findings led the author to the conclusion that conversations, training, safe space and capacitating of those in power, those abusing power, those attracted to power must be held for the restoration of human dignity with particular reference to women. The church remains a powerful and efficient platform for the above. The Church can no longer evade her role in rectifying the damage caused by patriarchy as assumedly condoned by the bible. The church can no longer evader her role in the restoration of human dignity. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

In this work I have used Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus as a springboard to examine the Pauline tradition in the light of Zimbabwe-African, cultural, legal and social attitudes to women. I have highlighted the conflict between the practices defined by Zimbabwean Constitutional law regarding the status of women and what is the actual situation on the ground, also considering the role of the church in confronting or conforming to the cultural norms. I have likewise highlighted the conflict in the Pauline tradition where one hand women are given more active roles in the church than could be expected according to the customs of the time, but on the other hand are still bound by an oppressive tradition. I have concluded by suggesting how the church can act in order to break free of this oppressive tradition and bring about change in the habitus of the society. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)

In this work I have used Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus as a springboard to examine the Pauline tradition in the light of Zimbabwe-African, cultural, legal and social attitudes to women. I have highlighted the conflict between the practices defined by Zimbabwean Constitutional law regarding the status of women and what is the actual situation on the ground, also considering the role of the church in confronting or conforming to the cultural norms. I have likewise highlighted the conflict in the Pauline tradition where one hand women are given more active roles in the church than could be expected according to the customs of the time, but on the other hand are still bound by an oppressive tradition. I have concluded by suggesting how the church can act in order to break free of this oppressive tradition and bring about change in the habitus of the society. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)