TITLE:
The Church and Gender Equality in Africa: Questioning Culture and the Theological Paradigm on Women Oppression
AUTHORS:
Ani Casimir, Matthew C. Chukwuelobe, Collins Ugwu
KEYWORDS:
Gender; Culture; Christian Theology; Change; Submission Clause and Equality
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Philosophy,
Vol.4 No.2,
May
22,
2014
ABSTRACT: Pope John Paul II
made a historic apology to several groups oppressed by the church since its inquisition started. The late pontiff’s apology to women as a group was as a
result of the obnoxious and oppressive denial of women’s human right by the
Church and the greater society because of the wrong interpretation of the “submission”
clause in the Bible. The subsequent re-interpretation of the submission clause
in the Letter to the Ephesians strongly confirmed and affirmed the equality
of man and woman and established the theological and philosophical basis for
questioning oppressive cultural ethos in Africa and demanding for a
theological paradigm shift which will help Africa to address the centuries old
inequities, inequalities and injustices suffered and still borne by women in
the 21st century. This article captures the religious role and
position of the church and defines the basis for calling for a new gender
approach within the Church that will achieve gender equality in Africa.