Gender, Christianity and African Culture: Reclaiming the Values of Indigenous Marriage and Female Initiation Rites

More and more Christian theologians and gender activists have focused on patriarchy in African culture over the last few decades. Consequently, studies on gender and African culture from a Christian perspective have been increasing. Yet these studies do not seem to come to grips with how the good values of indigenous African culture could be integrated into Christian teachings in order to respond to gender-related problems in Africa. In this book the author examines how the good values of indigenous African marriage and female initiation rites could be used to challenge patriarchy and empower women against contemporary problems such as HIV and AIDS and cervical cancer. By proposing an inculturation of indigenous African marriage and female initiation rites that is gender-sensitive, the book goes beyond a technical or mechanical perspective. Christian leaders, gender activists, sociologists, anthropologists, theology students as well as marriage counsellors would find this book extremely useful and interesting.