Of seduction and male abuse: Exploring the less-talked-about using Tamar’s stratagem (Gn 37–38)

Gender-based violence has often been framed and perceived as exclusively a women’s issue. As a result, terms such as ‘violence against women’ and ‘gender-based violence’ have often been understood and used interchangeably. In the fight and campaign against gender-based violence, men have been reckoned to be the most common culprits behind fuelling violence against women. While indeed to a large extent men are the perpetrators of gender-based violence, little attention, however, has been paid to at least two things: the loose usage of the term ‘gender’ as if exclusive of men, as well as the violence that some men suffer at the hands of some women. It was the thrust of this article to bring on the table the less-talked-about sexual abuse that some men suffer at the hands of some young women using Tamar’s trapping of Judah as an entry point into the discussion. Using a socio-anthropological approach, the article argued that the behaviour of some young women towards men older than themselves through manipulating their sexual weakness is a form of gender-based violence that calls for a redress. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The theme of gender-based violence is by definition of multidisciplinary interest. This contribution highlighted the less-talked-about abuse of men, which is also of significance within multiple disciplines including biblical studies, social anthropology, theology, cultural studies and even history

Death and After-life Rituals in the eyes of the Shona. Dialogue with Shona Customs in the Quest for Authentic Inculturation

This volume is a passed PhD thesis handed at Universität Bayreuth, Germany. The author examines burial customs and rituals among the Shona and sees a definite pattern comparable to the Judeo-Christian practices. He contends that these practices among the Shona were a preparation for the Gospel of Christ or ‘preparatio evangelica’ as Vatican II would identify this phenomenon. He laments the fact that the early Missionaries did not make full use of this preparation which would have laid the foundation for the fullness of the Gospel message they brought. On the contrary, some Missionaries sought to destroy the foundation instead of building on it, a temptation which lingers to this day, given the different conceptions of these customs and rituals by different theologians and evangelizers. The author argues strongly and with conviction in favour of the foundation for Christian evangelization, which tradition has already put in place, as embodied in the death and after life rituals among the Shona. Given the controversy concerning the rituals among some, the author assumes a Christ-like approach, who asks his disciples, ‘Who do you say I am’ (Mk.8:29). Individuals and communities will respond to this question in unique ways and should not be coerced. Jesus does not coerce his disciples but invites them to respond in love. He leaves them to mature in the faith until he can challenge Peter saying, ‘Do you love me more than these?’ (Jn.21:15). The author embarks on a similar loving process of affirmation and positive critical analysis in the hope that the past will help propel the Shona into the present and future of Christ. The author charts a new and interesting way of reading Scripture in the light of the Shona death and after life rituals.Der Band analysiert die Probleme im Umfeld der Integration von Schona-Bestattungstraditionen in christliche Kirchen, inbesondere in die katholische Kirche in Simbabwe

Of sin, gender equality and environmental goodness - towards curbing the effects of necrophilia

The Old Testament connects environmental disasters with sin. The expulsion from the paradeiso (Gn 3:23–24), the plagues on Egypt (Ex 7–11) and droughts (Am 4.6; Jr 14:1–7) are all portrayed as linked with sin. Theologically, human sin, therefore, can lead to actions that have adverse effects upon humans and the environment. It is against this reality that this research explores the effects of necrophilia not only upon humans but also on the environment. The argument raised here is that while world leaders are making concerted efforts to achieve gender equality, among other goals by 2030, necrophilia is likely to offset this vision as women continue being reduced to mere sex machines in life and beyond death. Spiritually, as a result of the evil nature of necrophilia, God and the ancestors also are forced to turn their faces from a land where such abomination is practiced, hence exposing the land to environmental catastrophes. Using largely the qualitative approach as well as comparative analysis, the research engages in an informed conversation with African traditional religion (ATR), Christianity and Islam (religions that have a large following in Zimbabwe), examining to what extent they can be used to curb necrophilia. Contribution: The research makes a unique contribution to Religion and/or Theology and Constructions of Earth and Gender through raising an awareness of the high chances of necrophilia offsetting efforts to achieve gender equality by 2030. It also proffers tangible ways of curbing the harmful effects of necrophilia upon human societies and Mother Earth

The Bible and Children in Africa

The relationship between the Bible and Children in Africa is a topic of highest relevance. This book is treating it in two main perspectives which often are intertwined: | The exegetical perspective “Children in the Bible” is dealing with the concepts of childhood in biblical texts, asking for example: How are children conceived in different texts. What is their status in family, society and church? What is their relation to God? What is the metaphoric use of childhood in biblical soteriology? What is the function and meaning of calling adult persons “children” (of God, or of the Apostle)? | The contextual perspective “African children of today and the Bible” is dealing with the different life settings African children find themselves in and how the Bible is present in these life settings. Here the questions for example are: What is the status of children in family and society? How are traditional concepts of childhood changing under the conditions of poverty, HIV/AIDS and violence? How are the ideas and ideals of childhood influenced by the Bible? What is the role of the Bible in child-education? Can children’s rights be established with help of the Bible? This volume of BiAS 17 is collecting the papers presented at the 2012 BiAS meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, with some additional contributions

Multiplying in the Spirit: African Initiated Churches in Zimbabwe

This volume was motivated by the realisation that AICs continue to be a significant player on Zimbabwe’s spiritual market. Members of predominantly Apostolic, but also Zionist, churches are highly visible in both rural and urban areas. Prophets from AICs are constantly in the news, alongside advertising their competence in urban areas. Thus it is high time to bring AICs being an important part of recent social reality in Zimbabwe back into academic focus. BiAS 15 at the same time is ERA 1 which means that this volume opens a new sub-series to BiAS which is meant to explore religion in Africa in all its manifold manifestation, be it Christian or not

The Bible and Violence in Africa. Papers presented at the BiAS meeting 2014 in Windhoek (Namibia), with some additional contributions

BiAS 20 contains papers presented at the BiAS meeting 2014 in Windhoek (Namibia), with some additional contributions. Scholars from Nigeria, Cameroon, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia and Germany are dealing with the urgent question of how the Bible is involved in the widespread use of violence in political, social, religious, and gender conflicts. One leading question is how to deal with the textual representation of violence in the Bible. It is taken up by more general hermeneutical contributions. The other leading question is how biblical texts and/or concepts are used to cause and justify violence. This is taken up by a greater number of articles which deal with concrete societal and political contexts in Zimbabwe and other African countries. The conference in Namibia was supported as a Humboldt-Kolleg on the Bible and Violence in Africa by the German Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Masturbation: sexual perversion or an act of sexual freedom? an analysis of the act in relation to the story of Onan (Genesis 38:1-10)

Reflecting the growing openness and realism regarding sex and sexuality in African church settings, in chapter 8 Canisius Mwandayi focuses on masturbation. Cognizant of the tendency to criticize masturbation by men on the basis of the biblical account that describes Onan’s fate (Gen. 38:1-10), Mwandayi engages in an analysis of this specific passage. He proposes that it must be read within its own historical and cultural context. He also discusses masturbation by men and women within the Shona cultural context of Zimbabwe and describes different attitudes toward the phenomenon. In conclusion, Mwandayi encourages churches in Africa to facilitate more open discussions on sexuality

'Eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth' - in search for lasting peace in Southern Africa

The history of our motherland Africa has been characterised by numerous and complex ups and downs. the greater part of the journey, however, which Africa has travelled, is marked with tears. this paper evaluates efforts which have been made to try and wipe these tears. noting some weaknesses in the peace initiatives that have been put in place to find lasting peace on the continent, the paper proposes to evoke the age-old biblical injunction: 'eye for an eye, tooth for tooth (Lev. 24:20; Dt. 19:21) as the effective route to bring lasting peace to Africa, and Southern Africa in particular

'Eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth' - in search for lasting peace in Southern Africa

The history of our motherland Africa has been characterised by numerous and complex ups and downs. the greater part of the journey, however, which Africa has travelled, is marked with tears. this paper evaluates efforts which have been made to try and wipe these tears. noting some weaknesses in the peace initiatives that have been put in place to find lasting peace on the continent, the paper proposes to evoke the age-old biblical injunction: 'eye for an eye, tooth for tooth (Lev. 24:20; Dt. 19:21) as the effective route to bring lasting peace to Africa, and Southern Africa in particular

Leviticus 19:33-34 – the forgotten injunction: a case study of ‘alien’ students in Senga and Nehosho suburbs of Gweru, Zimbabwe

The Priestly material in Leviticus has for a long time been a devalued part of the Hebrew Bible. The general trend of modern scholarship tends to be characterized by a deep-seated bias that views impurity rules as primitive and irrational taboos, and sacrifice as controlled savagery that is empty of any spiritual meaning