This mini-thesis is a small-scale exploratory case study into the experiences of eight mature women members of a particular parish in the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (CPSA) situated in the Diocese of Cape Town. Using qualitative feminist research methodologies, this study sets out to explore how this group of non-ordained women perceives their roles in the church structure. The study examines what initially attracted the participants to this parish and what motivates them, despite the challenges, to continue performing their voluntary licensed and unlicensed roles in the church. It then goes on to consider the contradictory ways in which their roles as individuals, gendered as women, serve to simultaneously reinforce and challenge the patriarchy of the church. In this respect the participants often held conflicting views within themselves, thus demonstrating the complexities surrounding such issues. Upon reflection the researcher acknowledges that, similar to the participants, she also holds contradictory views on some of these issues. The research therefore identifies and explores three main themes in this regard, firstly the reasons why women originally joined the parish church, secondly the ways in which these women are active in the church and lastly the ways in which women&rsquo / s activities simultaneously challenge and reinforce the patriarchy and continued male domination of church.

Thesis (DTh (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / In the Nigerian church and society negative gender stereotyping is pronounced in every aspect of human activities. The basic premise of this study therefore is that the Nigerian church and society need to deal with these negative gender stereotypes which breed gender insensitivity and injustice. Those cultural, political and economic structures, those proverbs and myths that have hitherto hindered women from attaining their full potential have to give way to a new mind-set and a change in attitude in both men and women in order to bring the much needed transformation and gender partnership in Nigeria. The study in surveying the landscape highlights some important issues that women have to struggle with. Among other things, the low female literacy rate is one of the greatest hindrances women have today. This is due to the institutionalised structures and culturally created lenses that make some people still perceive men as more superior than women and therefore regard the education of women as a waste of resources. Although men are always perceived to be the better and more superior specie, this study does not advocate for gender bending. What is important is people being who God has made them to be and working with others as partners for a better human society. Women’s involvement in development is based on the theological premise that true development must have a holistic approach which more than building infrastructures, deals with the development of humans. A holistic approach to development implies a transformational development that is different from the status quo which is overshadowed by men’s voices and experiences. Women’s voices, experiences and potentials have to play a major role in this approach. The need to listen to women was further stressed by Powers (2003: viii) when he said: Unless we listen, any action we may take in this area, no matter how well intentioned, is likely to bypass the real concerns of women and to confirm female condescension and reinforce male dominance. Listening, in a spirit of partnership and equality, is the most practical response we can make and is the foundation for our mutual partnership to reform unjust structures.

The concept which Martin Luther had of the nature of woman did a great deal to intensify the idea of woman's inferiority in the modern world. Framed by an investigation of the traditional and unique aspects of that concept and speculation about its effect on succeeding generations, a delineation of Luther's view will reveal his contribution to the concept of female inferiority and evil. As a formulator of religious and ethical concepts for modern man, Luther insured the continuance of this idea in the modern world. While it has adapted to changes in society's forms, the whole fabric of Luther's view of the female remains. Though some of his ideas remain as remnants reduced to truisms, the impact which they still have on human relationships and societal structure cannot be taken lightly.

Amituofo recitation is the chanting of the phrase "namo Amituofo , which is a rite commonly used among Buddhists for the attainment of merit. However, the attained merits would be nullified if the initiate gets pregnant after she has done Jiezhu. This has much to do with taboos related to female sexuality. Women always have a marginalized status as the supposedly "weaker" gender having a lower social position. The association of female bodily discharges with defilement further discredits their status. Jiezhu in effect reinforces the idea of "defilement" attributed to the female body. The shame that the women feel with the male-defined negative female bodily image affirms the patriarchal hegemony. / Based on historical, textual and field studies, this thesis examines a women-oriented initiation rite called Jiezhu. Jiezhu, a once-in-a-lifetime rite of passage, is performed by menopausal women in Ninghua, Western Fujian, China. / However, ritualistic acts provide therapeutic healing. The Jiezhu woman has to go through a stage in which she has to handle the change of her role and identity as a life-giver (mothering) with the end of her procreative cycle. The ritual provides both private and public meanings to the woman and helps her relieve the physical and mental difficulties that she faces in her menopausal stage. / It is believed in the villages of Ninghua that when a woman reaches her menopausal age, she has to do Jiezhu, without which, her Amituofo recitation (nianfo) would not be efficacious. In other words, Jiezhu, as a pre-requisite for Amituofo recitation, is at the same time a purification rite. / Jiezhu appropriates the woman into a new phase of being by first providing private meanings to her. Ritualistic acts can bridge memory and imagination. The ritual program allows the woman to go back and forth the past, the present and the future. Jiezhu dramatically juxtaposes girlhood and mature womanhood, reenacts her wedding and rehearses her future funeral. Death and rebirth symbols abound. In Jiezhu, the woman "witnesses" her own funerary rites to ensure abundant personal possessions are burned for her to receive in the underworld after her death. The woman acquires spiritual strength to ease off from her menopausal stress and to allay the fears of the approach of death. Jiezhu and Amituofo recitation make up a twin tool they use to ensure a more fortunate rebirth. / Second, Jiezhu gives social meanings. The woman is given a new identity. She is now eligible for Amituofo recitation and becomes a member of the nianfo community. As social inferiority can be compensated for by a show of lavishness, Jiezhu as an expensive event creates symbolic capital. Jiezhu has become a symbol of prestige and resources that in part enhances the status of the women. / The women are also able to express their power within the limits of their traditional politics. The woman's contributions as a wife and a mother are valued and celebrated in the Jiezhu ceremony. The youthful, bright and colourful gift items given by the married daughter display a defiant tone against the association of Jiezhu with old age. Jiezhu celebrates an oft-neglected life crisis of women. / To conclude, Jiezhu on the one hand "traditionalizes", and on the other hand, as a strategic mode of action, challenges traditions through religious and social empowerment. Jiezhu preserves the established order but it also facilitates transformation in the initiate. The two dynamics of ritual are not antithetical; they produce and contend with each other. / Cheung, Tak Ching Neky. / "September 2007." / Adviser: Chi Tim Lai. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-08, Section: A, page: 3178. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 390-406). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

This study uses a postcolonial feminist analysis to show how a biblical text (1 Cor 11:1-16), because of its patriarchal and imperial background, excludes women from the image of God. It demonstrates how this text has been taken up, developed and appropriated to support the subordination of women throughout the Christian tradition from the Church Fathers to the reformers and right up to the present day postcolonial Kenyan Church context. While this text has been used for a long time to oppress women, this study argues that a critical reading of the text from a postcolonial feminist perspective shows that gender disparity exists in this and in other gender-biased Pauline and post-Pauline texts because they were based on the existing patriarchal and imperial structures, which subordinated women to men. Further the study demonstrates that the texts have continued to subordinate women to men throughout the history of Christian tradition. Most churches, such as the Anglican Church, express belief in the Scriptures. Yet such churches like the Anglican Church of Kenya, which seemingly supports gender equality through its gender inclusive article in its Constitution, does not offer guidance about how such texts are to be read and appropriated by Christians. The study offers a method to fill this gap. It is hoped that the academy and the church will avail themselves of this method in their reading practices of the Bible. It takes into account the history of gender and imperial biases in the construction of texts such as 1 Cor 11:1-16 that exclude women from the image of God. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

楊莉. / 論文(博士)--香港中文大學, 2000. / 參考文獻 (p. 138-142) / 中英文摘要. / Available also through the Internet via Dissertations & theses @ Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Yang Li. / Lun wen (bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2000. / Can kao wen xian (p. 138-142) / Zhong Ying wen zhai yao.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Nosso estudo, QUE FIZERAM ELLAS? As Filhas de Maria e a Boa Imprensa no Recife, 1902-1922, teve por objetivo analisar a participação das jovens associadas da Pia União das Filhas de Maria, na imprensa católica, durante as duas primeiras décadas do século XX, no Recife. A atuação das Filhas de Maria interessa às Ciências da Religião, pelo fato de que suas associadas ao mesmo tempo em que defendiam e propagavam estruturas conservadoras de origem religiosa, como a moral, os bons costumes e a vida no lar, também se destacaram por exercerem atividades leigas e modernas, como uma forte participação na imprensa católica. Nesta análise estabelecemos a relação entre o particular (a associação) e o geral (a sociedade). Assim, analisamos documentos específicos da Pia União das Filhas de Maria, bem como documentos referentes a sociedade como um todo. Como referencial teórico, adotamos o conceito de habitus, proposto por Pierre Bourdieu; e a ideia de disciplina, sugerida por Michel Foucault. Isso nos permitiu uma melhor compreensão das estruturas da Pia União, e da atuação de suas sócias na imprensa. Ao final deste trabalho, chegamos a conclusão de que a presença das Filhas de Maria no campo da imprensa foi uma conquista destas jovens devido aos exemplos de vida e devoção das mesmas, bem como de seus esforços na propagação da boa imprensa neste período / Our study, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? The Daughters of Mary and the Good Press in Recife, 1902-1922, analyzes the participation of the young members of the Pious Union of the Daughters of Mary, in the catholic press during the two first decades of the Twenty- First Century in Recife. The activity of the Daughters of Mary interests the Sciences of Religion because while defending and propagating conservative religious structures as well as good customs and family life, they were also engaged in modern activities in the participation in the catholic press. In this analysis we establish the relation between the part (an association) and the whole (society). Using the idea of habitus of Pierre Bourdieu and the concept of discipline from Michel Foucault, we analyze specific documents of the Pious Union of the Daughters of May as well as those referring to society at large. This gives us a better comprehension of the structures of the Pious Union and the activity of their members in the press. In conclusion, we show that the presence of the Daughters of Mary in the press was a victory for them due to examples of their life and devotion as well as their efforts in the propagation the good press in this period

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:12:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_walter_amaral.pdf: 1913264 bytes, checksum: 1ac81db86196d5fe94869c05a2816ede (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Our study, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? The Daughters of Mary and the Good Press in Recife, 1902-1922, analyzes the participation of the young members of the Pious Union of the Daughters of Mary, in the catholic press during the two first decades of the Twenty- First Century in Recife. The activity of the Daughters of Mary interests the Sciences of Religion because while defending and propagating conservative religious structures as well as good customs and family life, they were also engaged in modern activities in the participation in the catholic press. In this analysis we establish the relation between the part (an association) and the whole (society). Using the idea of habitus of Pierre Bourdieu and the concept of discipline from Michel Foucault, we analyze specific documents of the Pious Union of the Daughters of May as well as those referring to society at large. This gives us a better comprehension of the structures of the Pious Union and the activity of their members in the press. In conclusion, we show that the presence of the Daughters of Mary in the press was a victory for them due to examples of their life and devotion as well as their efforts in the propagation the good press in this period / Nosso estudo, QUE FIZERAM ELLAS ? As Filhas de Maria e a Boa Imprensa no Recife, 1902-1922, teve por objetivo analisar a participação das jovens associadas da Pia União das Filhas de Maria, na imprensa católica, durante as duas primeiras décadas do século XX, no Recife. A atuação das Filhas de Maria interessa às Ciências da Religião, pelo fato de que suas associadas ao mesmo tempo em que defendiam e propagavam estruturas conservadoras de origem religiosa, como a moral, os bons costumes e a vida no lar, também se destacaram por exercerem atividades leigas e modernas, como uma forte participação na imprensa católica. Nesta análise estabelecemos a relação entre o particular (a associação) e o geral (a sociedade). Assim, analisamos documentos específicos da Pia União das Filhas de Maria, bem como documentos referentes a sociedade como um todo. Como referencial teórico, adotamos o conceito de habitus, proposto por Pierre Bourdieu; e a ideia de disciplina, sugerida por Michel Foucault. Isso nos permitiu uma melhor compreensão das estruturas da Pia União, e da atuação de suas sócias na imprensa. Ao final deste trabalho, chegamos a conclusão de que a presença das Filhas de Maria no campo da imprensa foi uma conquista destas jovens devido aos exemplos de vida e devoção das mesmas, bem como de seus esforços na propagação da boa imprensa neste período

Women in the Theological Anthropology of the Afrikaans Reformed Tradition This dissertation examines women in the theological anthropology of the Afrikaans Reformed Churches. The study is set out as follows: In Chapter 1, a survey of methodology is presented. The exposition of the question about the theological anthropology is done against a poststructural background. Both structuralism and poststructuralism largely put aside existentialism as an inadequate methodology. Chapter 2 aims to give an overview of the contribution of Michel Foucault. The chapter begins with a discussion of structuralism. This brief overview is then followed by a classification and investigation of the basic aspects of Foucault's approach. The chapter highlights Foucault's rootedness in poststructuralism. Chapter 3 attempts to explain silence of women in the theological anthropology of Dutch Reformed Church. The central aim of Chapter 3 is to demonstrate, against the development of the women ministries and the discourse about the ordination of women, that the Dutch Reformed Church theological anthropology is deeply influenced by the discursive practices developed during 1928-1932. Chapter 4 gives an overview of the developments in the theological anthropology of the Dutch Reformed Mission Church, Dutch Reformed Church of Africa and the Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa that took place from 1924 until 2002. Different approaches to the women question developed in the course of time. At the heart of the discourse is the shift in the reading process. The developments in the feminist standpoint theory as such led to this displacement. In Chapter 5 the deconstruction of the theological anthropology are being discussed. Preference is given in this chapter to the concept partnership or transformative relations. In the concluding chapter [Chapter 6], a poststructural feminist discourse is presented. Selected guidelines that the church may wish to take into account in the deconstructing of the theological anthropology are suggested. In the future, the frame of reference to the women question would likely be poststructural. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

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 & Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)