Sexual exploitation or legitimate surrogacy: Reading the Hagar narrative (Gn 16:1–4a) in African context

Abstract

A]n entire group of people living at the same period of time, or the average length of time that such a group of people live … Neither of these meanings fits the usage of ‫ְדֹות‬ ‫ ּתֹול‬ . (1980:380) 1.Only verses 1-4a are relevant for this work because its focus is on the issue of the marriage of Hagar to Abram.2.'Sarai' and 'Abram' are used as in the text, not 'Sarah' and 'Abraham' as the matriarch and patriarch are respectively known subsequently.Barren and advanced in age, Sarai proposed to Abram to take her maid, Hagar, as a wife so that they might have children through her. To some interpreters, this is sexual exploitation of Hagar. Using a reader-oriented approach, this article re-examines this mode of interpretation as well as assesses the perspectives in which the Hagar narrative appeals to the African reader. We found out that, when studied against its social background, the Abram-Hagar union is better understood as legitimate surrogacy. The research also found out that the text appeals to the African reader in the contexts of the problem of childlessness and modern surrogacy. The childless African reader thus finds solace in this narrative as it is suggestive of surrogacy as a pragmatic solution to his or her problem.

Taking a holistic view of the biblical perspectives on childlessness: Implications for Nigerian Christians and the church in Nigeria

“…Apart from seeking divine intervention in the manners described in that section, adoption and surrogate motherhood are also being used by a few to get children. However, as many have written on these methods, including the present author (e.g., Ademiluka 2019aAdemiluka , 2019b, this section examines the implication of the biblical perspective that the blessing of children need not be for every couple for Nigerian Christians and the church in Nigeria. It must be pointed out right away that it will be an uphill task to make Africans accept any proposition of a child-free life, given their passion for children, as already indicated.…”

Hagar and Epistemic Injustice: An Intercultural and Post-colonial Analysis of Genesis 16

“…Hagar's flight is memorialised in her name. Hagar, an Egyptian, bears a probable Semitic name, 26 from the root ‫,הגר‬ which appears in other Semitic languages. 27 Nahum Sarna states that the name may mean "fugitive" 28 with a meaning connected to Arabic that includes "to flee."…”