Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: “Leave her alone, why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me … I tell
you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will
also be told, in memory of her” (Mark 14:6, 9). This is how Jesus Christ perceives woman;
with gratitude, dignity and respect. Unfortunately, women have often been ill-treated,
discriminated against and even oppressed by her own fellow human beings of the opposite sex
just because she was born a woman. Many women have asked themselves, “Why was I born a
woman?” Questions such as these motivated the researcher to carry out this current study on
women
The purpose of this dissertation is to: (1) Determine through an in depth literary analysis factors
that have contributed to the desperate position of women leadership in CCAP Nkhoma Synod.
(2) To conduct empirical research in the different congregations of the Synod among members
of Chigwirizano cha amai, church elders and reverends. (3) To explore a new model of reading
and interpreting New Testament texts with regards to addressing the problem of the lack of
women in leadership positions in the CCAP Nkhoma Synod.
The research has shown that women in the CCAP Nkhoma Synod are denied leadership
positions because of historical, cultural and biblical factors. Historically, the first Dutch
Reformed missionaries who came to Malawi used a patriarchal type of leadership, which sidelined
women from leadership positions. Culturally, it was discovered that people brought their
cultural beliefs along with them to church, that a man is superior, powerful, respectful and a
controller; while woman are considered to be weak, inferior and submissive. Through Social
Identity Theory, it was discovered that these beliefs and actions of considering themselves to
be superior and better than women, were influenced by aspects such as self-categorization and
stereotyping. This means that the moment men categorized themselves as reverends and elders,
they automatically compare themselves with the other group, in this case, “Chigwirizano cha
amai”. This resulted in stereotyping women as weak and powerless, not qualified to carry out
leadership roles. The research has shown that the biblical factor is the main contributor as to why the church has
silenced women up till now. Texts like 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1Timothy 2:11-12 have
been used to oppress women from exercising their godly given leadership gifts and skills. This
is why a new theory of interpreting the Word of God has been suggested in this dissertation. It is called the “Multi-dimensional Approach”. This new approach1 will be achieved by rereading
the Scriptures through three aspects, namely, the literary, social-historical and
theological-rhetorical aspects. The researcher remains optimistic that through this process of
re-reading the texts, the Chewa culture and missionary history, as well as people’s mindsets,
attitudes and beliefs will change in favour of women leadership.
This research sought to answer the following questions: (1) To what extent are historical and
cultural factors, and particularly factors pertaining to the interpretation of the Bible, responsible
for the lack of women in leadership positions in the CCAP Nkhoma Synod? (2) Complex as it
may be to explore and measure the impact of these factors, would it be possible to substantiate
and verify such influences empirically? (3) Once this has been done, would it for instance be
possible to identify alternative readings of history, culture and the Bible? These three questions
were very crucial in that they guided the researcher to know the real problem and how this
problem can be solved. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: “Laat staan haar,” het Jesus gesê. “Waarom maak julle dit vir haar moeilik?” Sy het ʼn goeie
daad aan my gedoen... Dit verseker Ek julle: Oral waar die evangelie in die hele wêreld
verkondig word, sal daar ook vertel word wat sy gedoen het, tot herinnering van haar.” (Mark
14:6, 9). Dit is die manier waarop Jesus na vroue gekyk het, met dankbaarheid, waardigheid en
respek. Ongelukkig is vroue dikwels sleg behandel, teen gediskrimineer en selfs onderdruk
deur manspersone, net omdat hulle as vroue gebore is. Menige vrou het haarself al gevra,
“Waarom is ek as vrou gebore?” Vrae soos hierdie het die navorser gemotiveer om hierdie
studie te onderneem.
Die doel van hierdie navorsing is: (1) Om deur ʼn literatuurstudie die faktore wat tot die
desperate situasie van vroue leierskap in die CCAP Nkhoma Sinode bygedra het, te ondersoek.
(2) In empiriese navorsing onder lede van die sogenaamde Chigwirizano cha amai (vroue
groep), ouderlinge en predikante van verskillende gemeentes van die Sinode te doen. (3) Om
ʼn nuwe model vir die lees en interpreteer van die Nuwe Testament met die oog daarop om die
probleem van die afwesigheid van vroue in posisies van leierskap in die CCAP Nkhoma Sinode
te ontwikkel.
Die navorsing het getoon dat vroue in die CCAP Nkhoma Sinode uit posisies van
leierskap gehou word as gevolg van historiese, kulturele en Bybelse faktore. Histories het die
eerste Nederlandse sendelinge wat na Malawi gekom het ʼn patriargale vorm van leierskap
gevestig wat vroue van die begin af uitgesluit het. In kulturele verband is daar gevind dat die
mense hulle tradisionele kulturele oortuigings ook in die kerk ingedra het, soos dat die man
verhewe is bo die vrou, magtig en in beheer, terwyl vroue as swakker beskou word,
minderwaardig en passief. Met behulp van Sosiale Identiteitsteorie is gevind dat hierdie
oortuigings en handelinge van mans dat hulle meerderwaardig en beter as vroue is, deur aspekte
soos self-kategorisering en stereotipering beïnvloed is. Dit beteken onder andere dat die
moment wat mans hulleself as predikante en ouderlinge kategoriseer, hulle onmiddellik
hulleself met ander groepe vergelyk, in die geval die Chigwirizano cha amai. Dit dra tot verdere
stereotipering van vroue by, naamlik dat hulle swak en magteloos is en daarom nie vir posisies
van leierskap geskik is nie. Die navorsing het getoon dat die faktor wat die grootste bydrae gelewer het tot die rede
waarom die kerk die vroue se stemme stil gemaak het, verband hou met die wyse waarop die
Bybel gelees word. Tekste soos 1 Kor 14:34-35 en 1 Tim 2:11-12 is dikwels gebruik om vroue
daarvan te weerhou om hulle God-gegewe gawes van leierskap te ontwikkel en uit te leef. Dit
is waarom ʼn nuwe model vir die interpretasie van die Skrif voorgestel word, wat uit literêre, sosiohistoriese en teologies-retoriese aspekte bestaan. Die navorser bly hoopvol dat deur ʼn
herlees van die tekste die Chewa kultuur en missionêre verlede, asook die ingesteldheid van
mense, hulle houdings en oortuigings ten gunste van vroue in posisies van leierskap sal
verander.
Die navorsing het gepoog om die volgende vrae te beantwoord: (1) Tot watter mate het
historiese en kulturele faktore en dan spesifiek faktore wat met die interpretasie van die Bybel
verband hou, tot die gebrek aan vroue in posisies van leierskap in die CCAP Nkhoma Sinode,
bygedra? (2) Om ondersoek te doen tot watter mate hierdie faktore ook deur middel van
empiriese navorsing bevestig kon word, wel bewus van die kompleksiteit van die situasie. (3)
Om op grond van laasgenoemde ondersoekend te kyk na moontlike alternatiewe maniere
waarop die geskiedenis, die kultuur en die Bybel gelees kan word? Hierdie drie vrae was
voortdurend in die gedagtes van die navorser en het die dryfkrag gegee in die navorser se soeke
na die onderliggende redes wat tot die sentrale probleem bygedra het.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96112 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Chifungo, Phoebe Faith |
| Contributors | Nell, Ian, Mouton, Elna, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xix, 314 leaves : illustrations |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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