This research study was exploratory in nature and used a qualitative approach to learn firsthand from the intimate, personal and subjective experiences of African American women about the importance of spirituality and religiosity in their everyday lives.

African-American and Zimbabwean women live and do theology from different cultural and contextual worldviews, although they share the same skin colour. The narrative stories of three Zimbabwean and one African-American Christian women and how they share inter culturally the struggle of identity, identity-formation and survival/liberation while maintaining their cultural uniqueness form die basis of this research project. These shared experiences can offer significant contributions to the broader feminist liberation theology. The Christian faith has served as a shared source of sustenance, resilience, healing and renewal as well as a shared source for constructive and affirming identity-formation for Zimbabwean and African-American women. Consequently, building strong relationships that address contextual issues facing women of Africa and the Diaspora, as suggested by this research, offers significant opportunities for eliminating some of the barriers and boundaries that prevent Zimbabwean and African- American women from enjoying the quality of life that God meant for everyone. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

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)

In formal statements, the international organization Youth With A Mission (YWAM) clearly endorses female leaders. In YWAM Germany, however, women are underrepresented in leadership positions. This dissertation seeks to explain this dearth, especially in terms of the role played by Scripture. By means of interviews with leaders in YWAM Germany, possible answers were explored. Surprising for an evangelical organization, the interpretation of Scripture proved not to be a significant factor. Other factors that emerged are church background, the lack of female role models, lower self-confidence of women, and the role of incumbent leadership. The latter appeared to be the most crucial factor, since incumbent leaders, mostly men, select and appoint new leaders. It is likely that in this they are influenced by stereotypical conceptions of the leader as male and inclined to prefer those like themselves. / Systematic Theology & Theological Ethics / M. Th. (Theological Ethics)

This descriptive study investigates the link between religion, (institutional and private) identity (ethnic and personal) and the community (Portuguese and South African) in the context of religious and cultural pluralism. It analyses sixteen Portuguese women in Durban - nine Roman Catholics, five Protestants and two agnostic and it is executed within the framework of the theory of conditionalism or 'radical relationality', as expounded by J.S. Kruger. The religious practice, experience and identity of the participants are explored, and their social integration as well as famiIy and marital relationships (with special reference to submissiveness) are examined in the light of Catholic Feminist theology. The influence of their experiences on their religion and vice-versa, as well as the fluidity of their identities are analysed. The. results of the study highlight the paradoxical role of religion, as well as a decline in ethnic identity and Catholicism. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M. Th. (Religious Studies)

The purpose of this research is to explore how narrative practices can be meaningful in pastoral conversations with women living with breast cancer. A theoretical collaboration between narrative therapy, feminism and pastoral theology has been used in order to facilitate meaning-making, to give ‘voice’ to local knowledge, and to co-create a more holistic understanding of the experiences of illness narratives and breast cancer. The methodology of this research is ‘interdisciplinary’ and uses qualitative, co-participatory action research and reflexivity as its research design. Conversations with the co-researchers explore illness narratives, breast cancer, spirituality and faith, life-giving relationships, femininity and body image, socially constructed discourses and pivotal moments that enable alternative stories. Values of respect, curiosity and listening have been upheld in order to provide a safe place for the co-researchers to give voice to their stories and experiences of breast cancer in a way that supports the researcher position of ‘witness’. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology, with specialisation 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 & Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

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)

In formal statements, the international organization Youth With A Mission (YWAM) clearly endorses female leaders. In YWAM Germany, however, women are underrepresented in leadership positions. This dissertation seeks to explain this dearth, especially in terms of the role played by Scripture. By means of interviews with leaders in YWAM Germany, possible answers were explored. Surprising for an evangelical organization, the interpretation of Scripture proved not to be a significant factor. Other factors that emerged are church background, the lack of female role models, lower self-confidence of women, and the role of incumbent leadership. The latter appeared to be the most crucial factor, since incumbent leaders, mostly men, select and appoint new leaders. It is likely that in this they are influenced by stereotypical conceptions of the leader as male and inclined to prefer those like themselves. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Theological Ethics)

The purpose of this research is to explore how narrative practices can be meaningful in pastoral conversations with women living with breast cancer. A theoretical collaboration between narrative therapy, feminism and pastoral theology has been used in order to facilitate meaning-making, to give ‘voice’ to local knowledge, and to co-create a more holistic understanding of the experiences of illness narratives and breast cancer. The methodology of this research is ‘interdisciplinary’ and uses qualitative, co-participatory action research and reflexivity as its research design. Conversations with the co-researchers explore illness narratives, breast cancer, spirituality and faith, life-giving relationships, femininity and body image, socially constructed discourses and pivotal moments that enable alternative stories. Values of respect, curiosity and listening have been upheld in order to provide a safe place for the co-researchers to give voice to their stories and experiences of breast cancer in a way that supports the researcher position of ‘witness’. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology, with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)