DOCSLIB.ORG

The Unmarried (M)Other: a Study of Christianity, Capitalism, and Counternarratives Concerning Motherhood and Marriage in the United States and South Africa

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Unmarried (M)Other: a Study of Christianity, Capitalism, and Counternarratives Concerning Motherhood and Marriage in the United States and South Africa Southern Methodist University SMU Scholar Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations Religious Studies Winter 12-21-2019 The Unmarried (M)Other: A Study of Christianity, Capitalism, and Counternarratives Concerning Motherhood and Marriage in the United States and South Africa Haley Feuerbacher Southern Methodist University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.smu.edu/religious_studies_etds Part of the Africana Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, Ethics in Religion Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Practical Theology Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Feuerbacher, Haley, "The Unmarried (M)Other: A Study of Christianity, Capitalism, and Counternarratives Concerning Motherhood and Marriage in the United States and South Africa" (2019). Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations. 19. https://scholar.smu.edu/religious_studies_etds/19 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Religious Studies at SMU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SMU Scholar. For more information, please visit http://digitalrepository.smu.edu. THE UNMARRIED (M)OTHER: A STUDY OF CHRISTIANITY, CAPITALISM, AND COUNTERNARRATIVES CONCERNING MOTHERHOOD AND MARRIAGE IN THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH AFRICA Approved by: ____________________________________ Dr. Joerg Rieger Distinguished Professor of Theology, Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair of Wesleyan Studies, and Founding Director of the Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice at Vanderbilt Divinity School Dr. Crista Deluzio Associate Professor and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor of History and US Women, Children, and Families Dr. Jill DeTemple Associate Professor of Religious Studies Dr. Gerald West Senior Professor of the School of Religion, Philosophy, and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) THE UNMARRIED (M)OTHER: A STUDY OF CHRISTIANITY, CAPITALISM, AND COUNTERNARRATIVES CONCERNING MOTHERHOOD AND MARRIAGE IN THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH AFRICA A Dissertation Presented to the Graduate Faculty of Dedman College Southern Methodist University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Religious Studies by Haley Feuerbacher B.A., University Scholars, Baylor University M.T.S. Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University December 21, 2019 Copyright (2019) Haley Feuerbacher ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Feuerbacher, Haley B.A., University Scholars, Baylor University, 2005 M.T.S. Brite Divinity School, 2009 The Unmarried (M)Other: A Study of Christianity, Capitalism, and Counternarratives Concerning Motherhood and Marriage in the United States and South Africa Advisor: Dr. Joerg Rieger Doctor of Philosophy conferred December 21, 2019 Dissertation completed May 14, 2019 A reified and patriarchal form of Christianity that emphasizes “family values” – that is, adherence to the formula of a male-headed, heterosexual, capitalist, nuclear family, characterized by distinct, complementary, and hierarchical gender roles as essential to the well-being of individuals, one’s nation, and the ecumenical Church - over “community values” has become a happy bedfellow of the market system and neocolonialism, extending its reach worldwide through globalization. The result is that single mothers constitute the most economically oppressed demographic internationally across all race and ethnic categories. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory and a postcolonial feminist theological lens to collect, retell, and evaluate the stories of single mothers in cross-cultural fieldwork in both the United States and South Africa, this project will analyze the factors, theologies, and practices embodied and created by Christian single mothers that either empower social activism and collective identity or undermine the motivation and means to organize for liberating social action for single mothers. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 2 Theological Discussions on Metanarrative 14 Postcolonial Theory: Theologies from the Margins 16 The Single Mother as Hybrid 20 “Fixing” Single Motherhood: Methods and Approaches 23 Deconstructing the Metanarrative 28 Summary of Chapters 31 CHAPTER 2: THE SHAPE OF THE METANARRATIVE 35 Identifying the Metanarrative 40 Wearing a Scarlet Letter: Sex, Stigma, and the Single Mother in 63 Evangelical Christian Communities CHAPTER 3: THE MAKING OF A METANARRATIVE: HOW THE 86 “NUCLEAR FAMILY” AND NEOLIBERALISM MET AND MARRIED Pre-Capitalist Societies 89 The Spread of Patriarchy 99 Empire and Patriarchy 108 The Industrial Revolution 111 Beyond the Global North 118 The Rise of American Civil Religion 121 Family Planning 123 The Growth of Evangelicalism 128 The Postmodern Era 141 Conclusion 147 v CHAPTER 4: LIVING UNDER THE METANARRATIVE: AMERICAN 151 EVANGELICAL SINGLE MOTHERS AND THE STATISTICAL AND NARRATIVE REALITIES OF THEIR LIVES Method and Approach 158 Living Single Motherhood: The Realities of American Female-Headed Households 164 To Work or Not to Work? 166 The Erosion of Extended Networks of Support 186 Family, Capitalism, and Communities of Color 191 “When We Fall…”: Single Mothers in the Christian Church 199 Harmful Messages from the Christian Community 201 Social Justice for Single Mothers?: What Inhibits the Formation of 218 Social Movements for Female Heads of Household? Constructing a Way Forward: Theological and Practical Resources 224 from Single Mothers and Churches Resources for Counternarratives in Theologies, Practices, and 230 Experiences of American Christian Single Mothers and Evangelical Communities Conclusion 256 CHAPTER 5: BUILDING COUNTERNARRATIVES: SINGLE 262 MOTHERHOOD AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA Why South Africa 266 Religion as Culture and as Ideology in South Africa 277 Resisting Apartheid 285 The Concerned Evangelicals 287 South African Women in Christianity and Activism 292 A Brief History 295 The Rural Women’s Movement 302 vi Transnational Comparative Analysis through the Lens of Postcolonial 339 Feminist Critical Inquiry Evangelicalism and Economics in South Africa Today 343 Exploring South African Evangelical Christianities 352 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION 385 Systemic Sin and Power 392 Connecting to Histories of Social Action 398 Communitarianism 401 Non-Dualism of the Spiritual and Material 411 Grassroots Power 415 Embracing Ambivalence and Engaging Contestation 420 Last Thoughts 423 BIBLIOGRAPHY 431 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Number of times members of the Rural Women’s Movement 315 made statements indicating their valuing of a communitarian spirit Figure 2 Number of times members of the Rural Women’s Movement 324 made statements indicating their valuing of a grassroots or bottom-up flow of power Figure 3 Number of times members of the Rural Women’s Movement 331 made statements indicating their valuing of a non-dualistic worldview Figure 4 Number of times members of the Rural Women’s Movement 345 made statements indicating their tolerance of contestation or ambivalence viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my dissertation director, Dr. Joerg Rieger, for empowering and encouraging me, advocating for me, guiding me, and teaching me with grace, energy, and compassion – even from afar. I am a better person and scholar because of you. In addition, I would like to acknowledge my esteemed dissertation readers, Dr. Crista Deluzio and Dr. Jill DeTemple, as well as Dr. Gerald West, who welcomes me with hospitality, intentional time, great challenge, and deep insight when I visit South Africa. Also, I’d like to offer my thanks to my friends at Cornerstone Assembly of God in KZN – particularly, Pastor Dennis Solomon and Gita Dickinson – for welcoming me and making me feel at home. My deep gratitude goes to my dear friend and role model Sizani Ngubane. Your dauntless spirit, indomitable courage, and beautiful joy have liberated thousands. Furthermore, I am indebted to the members of the Rural Women’s Movement, who remind me that change is possible and that we, the women and the single mothers, can together bring liberation. Your hands are certainly not in your pockets! Likewise, I want to thank all the single mothers in the United States who bravely shared your stories with me. I hope I do your lives and stories justice. Finally, none of this would be possible without my friends and family – in particular, my Sarah, Jon, Alan, Billie, Christian, and SB. Thank you for all of the sacrifice, wisdom, hard work, laughter, comfort, encouragement, meals, running and surfing breaks, and unconditional love. “I thank my God every time I think of you.” (Philippians 1:3) I hope I make you proud. 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION In 2007, Jennifer Maggio committed her time and resources to establishing The Life of the Single Mom Ministries, one of the only Christian ministries of its kind, which seeks to connect unmarried mothers to churches, equip churches to address the needs of these women and their families, and empower single mothers1. A single mother herself, Maggio has founded this organization on the two key beliefs: first, that education is a key to ending single-parent families’ dependence on government assistance, and second, that faith communities have the potential to impact the lives of single mothers. According to the non-profit’s
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Part Four - 'Made in America: Christian Fundamentalism' Transcript
    Part Four - 'Made in America: Christian Fundamentalism' Transcript Date: Wednesday, 10 November 2010 - 2:00PM Location: Barnard's Inn Hall 10 November 2010 Made in America Christian Fundamentalism Dr John A Dick Noam Chomsky: “We must bear in mind that the U.S. is a very fundamentalist society, perhaps more than any other society in the world – even more fundamentalist than Saudi Arabia or the Taliban. That's very surprising.” Overview: (1) Introduction (2) Five-stage evolution of fundamentalism in the United States (3) Features common to all fundamentalisms (4) What one does about fundamentalism INTRODUCTION: In 1980 the greatly respected American historian, George Marsden published Fundamentalism and American Culture, a history of the first decades of American fundamentalism. The book quickly rose to prominence, provoking new studies of American fundamentalism and contributing to a renewal of interest in American religious history. The book’s timing was fortunate, for it was published as a resurgent fundamentalism was becoming active in politics and society. The term “fundamentalism” was first applied in the 1920’s to Protestant movements in the United States that interpreted the Bible in an extreme and literal sense. In the United States, the term “fundamentalism” was first extended to other religious traditions around the time of the Iranian Revolution in 1978-79. In general all fundamentalist movements arise when traditional societies are forced to face a kind of social disintegration of their way of life, a loss of personal and group meaning and the introduction of new customs that lead to a loss of personal and group orientation.
    [Show full text]
  • Characterizations of Feminism in Reformed Christian Online Media Introduction It Will Come As No Surprise to Most People That Fe
    Hobbs, V. (2015). Characterizations of Feminism in Reformed Christian Online Media. Journal of Media and Religion , 14 (4), 211-229. Characterizations of Feminism in Reformed Christian Online Media The term “culture war” is often used to describe the relationship between evangelical Christianity and movements like feminism. Given the increasing dependence of religious groups on online media, analysis of the discourse therein offers an effective means of examining patterns within Christian discourse about feminism. The current study examines a corpus of 147 articles from a popular online North American Reformed Christian news site, focusing on what feminism is most frequently associated with and counterexamples to these characterizations. Feminism was consistently connected with false theology, breakdown of marriage/traditional gender roles, promiscuity and nontraditional sexuality, abortion, anti-Christian cultural change, and liberal politics. However, a minority of dissenting voices suggests that some are allowed to express cautious support of feminism. Introduction It will come as no surprise to most people that feminism and Christianity are not fast friends. A study of evangelical attitudes towards feminism by Gallagher (2004a) found that two thirds of American evangelicals consider feminism ‘hostile to Christian values’ (p. 229). Feminism has been blamed by evangelicals in North America for the declining value of the traditional family (Kassian, 2005), the rise of women in unbiblical positions of leadership (Creegan and Pohl, 2005), legalization of abortion (Steuter, 1992), theological liberalism (Grudem, 2006) and the rise of the divorce rate (Adams & Coltrane, 2007). The term ‘culture war’ is often used in conjunction with what is perceived as a battle between evangelical Christianity and movements such as feminism which, according to many, undermine Christian ideology (Ingersoll, 2003).
    [Show full text]
  • Joerg Rieger
    Joerg Rieger Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair of Wesleyan Studies Distinguished Professor of Theology Vanderbilt Divinity School Affiliate Faculty Turner Family Center for Social Ventures, Owen Graduate School of Management Joerg Rieger is the Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair of Wesleyan Studies and Distinguished Professor of Theology. Previously he was the Wendland-Cook Endowed Professor of Constructive Theology at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. He received an M.Div. from the Theologische Hochschule Reutlingen, Germany, a Th.M. from Duke Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in religion and ethics from Duke University. For more than two decades he has worked to bring together theology and the struggles for justice and liberation that mark our age. His work addresses the relation of theology and public life, reflecting on the misuse of power in religion, politics, and economics. His main interest is in developments and movements that bring about change and in the positive contributions of religion and theology. His constructive work in theology draws on a wide range of historical and contemporary traditions, with a concern for manifestations of the divine in the pressures of everyday life. Author and editor of more than 20 books and over 125 academic articles, his books include Unified We are a Force: How Faith and Labor Can Overcome America’s Inequalities (with Rosemarie Henkel-Rieger, 2016), Faith on the Road: A Short Theology of Travel and Justice (2015), Occupy Religion: Theology of the Multitude (with Kwok Pui-lan, 2012), Grace under Pressure: Negotiating the Heart of the Methodist Traditions (2011), Globalization and Theology (2010), No Rising Tide: Theology, Economics, and the Future (2009), Christ and Empire: From Paul to Postcolonial Times(2007), and God and the Excluded: Visions and Blindspots in Contemporary Theology (2001).
    [Show full text]
  • Nondualism and the Divine Domain Burton Daniels
    International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Volume 24 | Issue 1 Article 3 1-1-2005 Nondualism and the Divine Domain Burton Daniels Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/ijts-transpersonalstudies Part of the Philosophy Commons, Psychology Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Daniels, B. (2005). Daniels, B. (2005). Nondualism and the divine domain. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 24(1), 1–15.. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 24 (1). http://dx.doi.org/10.24972/ijts.2005.24.1.1 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals and Newsletters at Digital Commons @ CIIS. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Journal of Transpersonal Studies by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ CIIS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Nondualism and the Divine Domain Burton Daniels This paper claims that the ultimate issue confronting transpersonal theory is that of nondual- ism. The revelation of this spiritual reality has a long history in the spiritual traditions, which has been perhaps most prolifically advocated by Ken Wilber (1995, 2000a), and fully explicat- ed by David Loy (1998). Nonetheless, these scholarly accounts of nondual reality, and the spir- itual traditions upon which they are based, either do not include or else misrepresent the reve- lation of a contemporary spiritual master crucial to the understanding of nondualism. Avatar Adi Da not only offers a greater differentiation of nondual reality than can be found in contem- porary scholarly texts, but also a dimension of nondualism not found in any previous spiritual revelation.
    [Show full text]
  • Complementarianism Resource List 2015 Weblist
    Complementarianism reading suggestions/resources * indicates a resource that will be particularly useful for lay people for whom complementarianism is a new idea. 1) Scriptural basis for complementarianism *Sharon James, God’s Design for Women: Biblical Womanhood for Today (2007) A discussion of the feminist movement and its impact on women’s role in society, then looks at the biblical basis for God’s design for women in the family, the church and at work, before contrasting this with egalitarian views. *Carrie Sandom, Different by design: God’s blueprint for men and women (Christian Focus, 2012) Accessible discussion of the biblical basis for different roles of men and women in marriage, the church, and the workplace as part of God’s good design for humanity. Places key texts in the context of a Bible overview of men and women within God’s salvation plan, from Genesis to Revelation. Plenty of examples and illustrations, which makes this a good book to give to congregation members thinking through this issue. Goes much broader than just the ‘should women be ordained/preach?’ issue to look at the implications of a complementarian viewpoint on the whole of life, in contrast to the influence of feminism on society. *Claire Smith, God’s Good Design: What the Bible really says about men and women (Matthias Media, 2012) Short, clear exposition of seven key Bible passages relevant to the debate about women’s roles in the church and family. Also deals with common objections, contemporary feminism, and includes a chapter on domestic abuse. W. Grudem and J Piper (ed.).
    [Show full text]
  • Feminist Theories in the Sociology of Religion1
    АУЧНЫЙ АУЧНЫЙ 17 Cvitković I.. РЕЗУЛЬТАТ РЕЗУЛЬТАТ Н Н FEMINIST THEORIES IN THE SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION УДК 316.2 CVITKOVIĆ I. ЦВИТКОВИЧ И. FEMINIST THEORIES IN THE SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION1 ФЕМИНИСТСКИЕ ТЕОРИИ В СОЦИОЛОГИИ РЕЛИГИИ Abstract Аннотация Sociology could not be bypassed by Социология не может не подвергаться the impact of feminist theories. Women’s влиянию феминистских теорий. Населе- population in religions. The increase of ние женщин в религии. Увеличение ин- interest in women’s religiousness on areas тереса к религиозности женщин в облас- of ex Yugoslavia. Why have women been тях, являющихся бывшими территориями ignored and marginalised by the society and Югославии. Почему женщины игнориро- the Church? What are feminist theories? Two вались и маргинализировались общест- kinds of feminist theories. Anthropocentrism. вом и Церковью? Что собой представ- An attitude of traditionalists to feminism. ляют феминистские теории? Два вида A woman in written religious sources. феминистских теорий. Антропоцентризм. How much has the stand view on the Отношение традиционалистов к феми- period influenced the position of women in низму. Женщина в письменных религиоз- religions? A woman in traditions of the Asian ных источниках. На сколько устоявшиеся and Far East religions. A woman in the взгляды определенного периода повлия- Abraham’s religions (Judaism, Christianity, ли на положение женщин в религии? Жен- Islam). When do feminist theories appear? щина в традициях азиатских и дальнево- Gender studies. Feminist theories in different сточных религий. Женщина в религиях religious traditions. What is required in Авраама (иудаизм, христианство, ислам). feminist theories? The position of a woman Когда появляются феминистской теории? in society and culture. A woman in the role of Гендерные исследования.
    [Show full text]
  • Ángel Jazak Gallardo
    Ángel Jazak Gallardo CURRICULUM VITAE Associate Director SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY Intern Program Perkins School of Theology [email protected] 5915 Bishop Boulevard Office (214) 768-2216 Dallas, Texas 75275 EDUCATION Southern Methodist University, Graduate Program in Religious Studies | Dallas, TX • Ph.D. in Religion and Culture (high pass – May 2018) · Dissertation title: “Mapping the Nature of Empire: The Legacy of Theological Geography in the Early Iberian Atlantic” Chair – Joerg Rieger, Distinguished Professor of Theology, Graduate Department of Religion and Divinity School, Vanderbilt University · Comprehensive exams Area I – Modern Study of Religion (with honors) Area II – Contemporary Theories and Critiques of Religion and Culture Area III – Christianity and Mesoamerican Religions in the New World Area IV – Historical Approaches to Colonial Spanish America · Language exams – Latin, Spanish; additional languages – Portuguese, Greek (koinonia) Duke University, Divinity School | Durham, NC • Master of Divinity (May 2009) Eastern University | St. David’s, PA • Bachelor of Arts in Theological Studies (May 2006) FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS • Research Cluster Grant: On Decolonial Options and the Writing of Latin American History, Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute (2017-2018) • Doctoral Fellow, Center for the Study of Latino/a Christianity and Religions (2012-2018) • Dissertation Fellowship, Louisville Institute (2016-2017) • Doctoral Fellowship, Forum for Theological Exploration (2016-2017) • Dissertation Fellowship, Hispanic Theological
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Women at the Village Church
    ––––––––––––––––––––– The Role of Women at The Village Church Our foundation for life and ministry starts with the understanding that the Bible is God’s Word. As affirmed in our Statement of Basic Beliefs, “We believe the Scriptures are true, authoritative and sufficient” (Ps. 19:7-11; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21). Therefore, we believe that any attempt to understand personhood and gender must begin with divine revelation. The Bible teaches that God created two complementary sexes of humans, male and female, to bear His image together (Gen. 1:27-28; Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6). This distinction in gender represents an essential characteristic of personhood and reflects an essential part of being created in God’s image. As outlined in Scripture and in accordance with our Statement of Faith, we believe that men and women are absolutely equal in essence, dignity and value and are complementary by divine design. Gender does not merely represent a social construct but, instead, represents a reality present in every human from birth. Men and women are not interchangeable. From the opening pages of Scripture, we find that God, in His wisdom and providence, created two complementary sexes for our good and His glory. In light of His good created order, and the fact that men and women both share in divine image bearing, God intends for men and women to have different yet complementary roles and responsibilities in the church and home. These role distinctions do not arise from cultural definitions of masculinity and femininity but are an integral part of God’s plan for humanity, as revealed in Scripture.
    [Show full text]
  • Bgsu1342832308.Pdf (4.95
    ONLY GOD KNOWS THE OPPOSITION WE FACE: THE RHETORIC OF NINETEENTH CENTURY FREE METHODIST WOMEN’S QUEST FOR ORDINATION Christy E. Mesaros-Winckles A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2012 Committee: Ellen Gorsevski, Adviser Ellen E. Berry Graduate Faculty Representative Alberto Gonzalez Catherine Cassara © 2012 Christy Mesaros-Winckles All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Ellen Gorsevski, Advisor This study focuses on two prominent evangelists, Ida Gage and Clara Wetherald, who served as two of the earliest women delegates to the Free Methodist General Conference and argued in defense of their ministries. Rhetorical artifacts include historical writings from both Gage and Wetherald. To illustrate the tension these women faced in gaining acceptance for their ministry, the 1890 and 1894 General Conference debates on ordaining women are analyzed to provide a broader religious and cultural understanding. Using archival research methods, the dissertation emphasizes constructing a rhetorical history narrative about the debates in the Free Methodist Church on women’s place in ministry and in the home. The rhetorical concept of “passing” is used to illustrate how both Wetherald and Gage had to construct their narratives in a way that would allow them to be accepted in the male dominated profession of ministry. Additionally, the concept of silence as a rhetorical device is also used to demonstrate how both Wetherald’s and Gage’s ministries and impact in the denomination quickly vanished after the issue of women’s ordination was defeated and both became divorcees.
    [Show full text]
  • Liberation Theology: Problematizing the Historical Projects of Democracy and Human Rights
    Revista Sociedade e Cultura | ISSN: 1980-8194 DOI: 10.5216/sec.v23.e59897 Liberation Theology: problematizing the historical projects of democracy and human rights Teologia da Libertação: problematizando os projetos históricos da democracia e dos direitos humanos Teología de la liberación: problematizando los proyectos históricos de democracia y derechos humanos Graham McGeorch Faculdade Unida, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brasil [email protected] Abstract: Liberation Theology and Liberation Christianity continue to inspire social movements across Latin America. Following Michael Lowy’s analytical and historical distinction between Liberation Christianity (emerging in the 1950s) and Liberation Theology (emerging in the 1970s), this paper seeks to problematize the historical projects of democracy and human rights, particularly in relation to the praxis of Liberation Christianity and the reflection of Liberation Theology. Liberation Theology emerged across Latin America during a period of dictatorship and called for liberation. It had neither democracy nor human rights as its central historical project, but rather liberation. Furthermore, Liberation Christianity, which includes the legacy of Camilo Torres, now seeks to ‘defend democracy’ and ‘uphold human rights’ in its ongoing struggles despite the fact that the democratic project has clearly failed the majority of Latin Americans. Both redemocratization and ‘pink tide’ governments were not driven by liberation. At the beginning of the first Workers’ Party government in Brazil, Frei Betto – a leading liberation theologian – famously quipped ‘we have won an election, not made a revolution’. In dialogue with Ivan Petrella, this article suggests that Liberation Theology Revista Sociedade e Cultura. 2020, v. 23: e59897 Revista Sociedade e Cultura | ISSN: 1980-8194 DOI: 10.5216/sec.v23.e59897 needs to ‘go beyond’ broad narratives of democracy and human rights to re-establish a historical project of liberation linked to what the Brazilian philosopher, Roberto Mangabeira Unger, calls institutional imagination.
    [Show full text]
  • And Unemployment in South Africa Today
    Page 1 of 8 Original Research Modern slavery in the post-1994 South Africa? A critical ethical analysis of the National Development Plan promises for unemployment in South Africa Author: In African ethics, work is not work if it is not related to God or gods. Work, or umsebenzi, is 1 Vuyani S. Vellem for God or gods ultimately; work without God is the definition of slavery in my interpretation Affiliation: of the African ethical value system. If one succeeds from that understanding to define what 1Department of Dogmatics slavery is, then God-lessness in work might imply the need for us to search for the gods of and Christian Ethics, modernity post-1994 that have dethroned God, if they have not disentangled work from God. University of Pretoria, This article looks at the problem of unemployment by analysing the National Development South Africa Plan (NDP) and in particular the solutions proposed in relation to unemployment in South Correspondence to: Africa. The article examines the language and grammar of the NDP to evaluate its response to Vuyani Vellem the violent history of cheap, docile and migratory labour in South Africa. Email: [email protected] Moderne slawerny in die post-1994 Suid-Afrika? ‘n Kritiese en etiese analise van die Postal address: nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan se beloftes aangaande werkloosheid in Suid-Afrika. Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa In Afrika-etiek word die idee van ‘werk’ aan God of gode gekoppel. Werk, of umsebenzi, is uiteindelik vir God of gode; volgens my interpretasie van die Afrika-etiese waardestelsel Dates: is werk sonder God gelykstaande aan slawerny.
    [Show full text]
  • Curriculum Vitae
    CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Joerg Rieger Distinguished Professor of Theology Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair in Wesleyan Studies Founding Director of the Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion Vanderbilt University ACADEMIC POSITIONS Vanderbilt University, Divinity School and Graduate Program in Religion Distinguished Professor of Theology and Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair in Wesleyan Studies, 2016-. Founding Director of the Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice, 2019-. Affiliate Faculty Turner Family Center for Social Ventures, Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University. Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University Wendland-Cook Endowed Professor of Constructive Theology, 2009-2016. Professor of Systematic Theology, 2004-2008. Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, 2000-2004. Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology, 1994-2000. Visiting Professor/Scholar Theologisches Studienjahr, Dormitio Abbey, Jerusalem, Israel, November 2018. United Theological College (UTC), Bangalore, India, October 2018. Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE), Chicago, June 2016. Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA, Spring 2015. Universidade Metodista Sao Paulo, Brazil, Semana Wesleyana, May 2014. Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota, Mahle Lecturer in Residence, April 2013. National Labor College, Silver Springs, Maryland, Fall 2013, semester-long seminar on labor and social movements. University of Kwazulu Natal, School of Religion and Theology, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Spring 2008. Lecturer Duke University Divinity School, Durham, NC, 1992-1994. Theologisches Seminar in Reutlingen, Germany, Lecturer in Greek, 1988-1989. EDUCATION Duke University, Durham, NC: Ph.D., Theology and Ethics, 1994. Duke University Divinity School, Durham, NC: Th.M., Theology and Ethics, 1990. Theologische Hochschule Reutlingen, Reutlingen, Germany: M.Div., 1989.
    [Show full text]