The Church and Gender Equality in Africa: Questioning Culture and the Theological Paradigm on Women Oppression

In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi

2021

For many African readers, Ephesians 5:22–24 indeed reinforces the patriarchal view of marriage in which the wife is subjugated under her husband’s rule. Hence, with specific focus on the Yoruba, this article examines Ephesians 5:22–33 with a view to assessing its relevance for Christian marital relationship in Nigeria. The target population is those Nigerian Christians who have the notion that Ephesians 5:22–24 entrenches the patriarchal view of marital relationship. The article employs the exegetical and descriptive methods. It finds that, in Ephesians 5:22–6:9, Paul borrows the pattern of the Greek household codes, but mitigates the absolute authority of the male head of the house. Instead, he likens the authority of the Christian husband over his wife to Christ’s headship over the church. As Christ gave himself up for the church, the Christian husband should place greater value on the well-being of his wife over his own well-being. Understood in this way, the passage is relevant to Nigerian Christians in several ways. In the Nigerian context, the command to wives to be submissive to their husbands means that the wife should submit to her husband as one who has authority over her. In exercising his authority, the Nigerian Christian should seek his wife’s pleasure and comfort over his own. Finally, the church should be involved in getting husbands to understand their authority in the manner of Christ’s sacrificial love.

Section: Applying Ephesians 5:22-33 To Christian Marital Relationship In Nigeriamentioning

confidence: 99%

‘For the husband is the head of the wife’: A contextual re-reading of Ephesians 5:22–33 among Nigerian Yoruba Christians

In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi

2021

Section: Patriarchal Tendencies In Nigeriamentioning

confidence: 99%

Patriarchy and marital disharmony amongst Nigerian Christians: Ephesians 5:22–33 as a response

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

2020

“…Labeodan (2005:6) states that in 'most African societies male supremacy is … taken for granted [with] [t]he ideology that men are naturally superior to women in essence and in all areas'. As Casimir, Chukwuelobe and Ugwu (2014) put it: [I]n African societies, the traditional gender roles are usually maintained by a system of patriarchy which sees men as preeminent human beings and women as secondary whose roles are meant to complement those of men. (p. 170) In Nigeria there are slight differences in male domination over women; for instance, in the northern part, Islam is the faith of the majority, and ' [t]his produces the living law -the rules that in reality, govern women's lives and determine the space within which they strategize for survival' (Igwe & Akolokwu 2015:2).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patriarchy and marital disharmony amongst Nigerian Christians: Ephesians 5:22–33 as a response

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

2021

This article employs the descriptive and exegetical methods. It found several ways by which patriarchy precipitates marital disharmony in Nigeria. For instance, the custom of the bride price instils in the husband the feeling of ownership of the wife, which encourages some men to treat their wives like their property. The nature of marital disharmony varies with couples, but there are some common characteristics. The husband may withdraw from his wife, avoiding all forms of contact and communication with her; wife beating is also common. Ephesians 5:22-33 mitigates the patriarchal view of marriage, redefining the concepts of submission and leadership. The wife should submit to her husband’s authority as she would to Christ whilst the husband should exercise his authority with love in imitation of Christ. When this new definition of marital relationship is understood and applied by Christian couples, disharmony will be considerably alleviated. The church should be involved in the application of the text, teaching husbands particularly the need to exercise their authority in sacrificial love.Contribution: The article endorses the journal’s focus on the combination of the notions ‘source’ and ‘interpretation’ by its emphasis on the exegesis of writings in the field of early Christian literature.