Gender, race, power and religion [Elektronische Ressource] : women in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa in post-apartheid society / vorgelegt von Uta Theilen (geb. Möllhoff)

Sujets

• Théologie
• Soziologie

Informations

• Publié par: philipps-universitat_marburg
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2003
• Nombre de lectures: 68
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Gender, Race, Power and Religion:
Women in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa
in Post-apartheid Society


Inauguraldissertation
zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie

dem Fachbereich Gesellschaftswissenschaften
und Philosophie

der Philipps-Universität Marburg

vorgelegt von


Uta Theilen (geb. Möllhoff)
aus: Trier
Eingereicht: 2003
Vom Fachbereich Gesellschaftswissenschaften und Philosophie als Dissertation angenommen am
25.09.2003

Tag der Disputation: 25.09.2003
Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Michael Pye / HD Dr. Peter J. Bräunlein
Acknowledgements

I should like to thank
all the South African men and women who shared their stories with me and made me feel welcome in their
homes, homesteads and churches ...
... the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Cape Town, foremost the professors Dr. David
Chidester, Dr. John de Gruchy and Dr. Chirevo Kwenda for helping me with their expertise ...
... Prof. Dr. Theo Sundermeier (Faculty of Theology, University of Heidelberg) who helped me with his
profound knowledge of South Africa and who made sure that I followed up on this project once I had
returned to Germany – in spite of many obstacles ...
... the University of Heidelberg, the German Academic Exchange Program and the PSP Publishing
Foundation (Basel, Switzerland) for funding parts of the fieldwork and research ...
... Daniela Guggenheim, Elizabeth Hagen, Rose & Ulrich Harrison, Gail Miller, Prof. Dr. Jill Morford and
Christopher Triplett for proofreading and editing ...
... my parents Horst & Ilse for helping in many ways, my mother-in-law Tekla for babysitting, my husband
Volker for his moral and technical support ...
... my daughter Lara for being a faithful companion during our South African “two-women adventure.”
To human kindness
Contents

Introduction.........................................................................................................................................................1
Main Part ..........................................................................................................................................................10
1 British Methodism and its Mission in South Africa 11
1.1 Orientation ....................................................................................................................................11
1.2 John Wesley and the beginnings of the Methodist movement.....................................................13
1.3 History of the Methodist Church in South Africa...........................................................................21
1.4 Demography, education and gender ............................................................................................29
1.5 Post-apartheid aims of the Methodist Church ..............................................................................33
2 Women’s organisations 42
2.1 Orientation ....................................................................................................................................42
2.2 The Manyano............46
2.3 The Women’s Auxiliary.................................................................................................................52
2.4 The Women’s Association ............................................................................................................57
2.5 The Women’s Fellowship .............................................................................................................60
2.6 The Women’s Network .................................................................................................................61
2.7 Reflections................63
3 Methodist Women in leadership positions 66
3.1 Introduction to some case studies................................................................................................66
3.2 Mrs. J., Circuit Steward ................................................................................................................68
3.3 Ethel Sanjanja, Lay Minister.........................................................................................................72
3.4 Nomsa Mpambo, Founder of Women’s Fellowship......................................................................76
3.5 Pamela Delport, President of the Women’s Association..............................................................78
3.6 Peggy Attwell, former President of the Women’s Auxiliary ..........................................................83
3.7 Jean Fisher, member of the Women’s Network ...........................................................................87
3.8 Reflections ....................................................................................................................................91
4 African traditions in post-apartheid South Africa 93
4.1 Orientation................93
4.2 A description of the contemporary situation .................................................................................95
4.2.1 The South African government's African Renaissance ........................................................95
4.2.2 African traditional religion at UCT.......................................................................................100
4.2.3 The Methodist Church and African traditions .....................................................................104
4.2.4 African traditions from Methodist students’ point of view ...................................................108
4.2.5 African traditions from the Manyano’s point of view...........................................................111
4.3 African traditions and customs – a survey..................................................................................121
4.3.1 Birth and puberty ritual .......................................................................................................122
4.3.2 Ancestor veneration and traditional healing .......................................................................126
4.3.3 Customary law and gender equality ...................................................................................136
4.4 Reflections ..................................................................................................................................143
5 Conclusions 145
Appendices.....................................................................................................................................................155
1 Abbreviations 156
2 Structures of the MCSA 157
3 Rules & Regulations of the Manyano 160
4 List of Interview Subjects 164
5 List of Manyano Members (Questionnaires) 165
6 Thabo Mbeki’s speech on the adoption of the new constitution 168
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................................172
Preamble of the South African Constitution
We, the people of South Africa,
Recognise the injustices of our past;
Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land;
Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and
Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.
We, therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this Constitution as the
supreme law of the Republic so as to
Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice
and fundamental human rights;
Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will
of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law;
Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person;
Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in
the family of the nations.
May God protect our people.
Nkosi Sikelel’iAfrika. Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso.
God seen Suid-Afrika. God bless South Africa.
1Mudzimu fhatutshedza Afurika. Hosi katekisa Afrika.

1 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 3
Introduction
The setting
2 3The official release of Nelson Mandela in 1990, the mostly peaceful overthrow of the apartheid government
in 1994 and the making of a democratic South Africa with one of the most modern constitutions worldwide
4has filled South Africans and the international audience with admiration and enthusiasm. Expectations were
high that the political change would finally bring the long desired equality of South Africans regardless of
their ethnic background, as well as the improvement of the social and economic situation of black and
coloured South Africans - ; the parts of South African society that had been the most disadvantaged during
5colonial and apartheid rule. The preamble of the new constitution of 1996 gives vivid evidence of this dream
of a new and more just South Africa.
6The challenges facing the “new South Africa” are manifold: reconciliation between the victims of apartheid
and their perpetrators, proper education and public health care for all South Africans, development of
disadvantaged communities and (gender) equality – to name only a few. The mentioned challenges also
concern th