Encountering the Female Voice in the Song of Songs: Reading the Song of Songs for the Dignity of Kenyan Women

ENCOUNTERING THE FEMALE VOICE IN THE SONG OF SONGS: READING THE SONG OF SONGS FOR THE DIGNITY OF KENYAN WOMEN by DORCAS CHEBET JUMA Dissertation presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Prof JULIANA CLAASSENS December 2014 Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this dissertation, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Date: 1 December 2013. ii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Copyright @ 2014 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved iii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRACT This study investigates one of the central aspects of a Kenyan woman’s identity, namely the notion of sexuality, which unfortunately also underlies numerous socio-economic and developmental challenges currently confronting Kenyan women. The research shows that in Kenya, patriarchal ideologies are used to control the sexuality of women in the name of ‘our culture’. Thus, it is and has been difficult for many Kenyan women to live with dignity as beings equally created in the image and likeness of God. The study, therefore, sought to identify, expose, criticize, destabilize and to deconstruct patriarchal ideologies that deny Kenyan women the right to live with dignity. Patriarchal ideologies that have been used to mute the voices of Kenyan women on matters of sex and sexuality are challenged by introducing the voices of Kenyan women. The latter is done with reference to poetry that reflects the voices and experiences of Kenyan women as a means of expressing who they really are in the midst of a society that silences them. It is shown that, by means of poetry, the full power and energy of these women may be mobilized. Moreover, the voices and experiences of Kenyan women offer a contextual re-reading of the Song of Songs for their dignity. The study presents the female voice in the Song of Songs (a text from a male pen) as responding in a new way to the patriarchal Old Testament society on matters of sex and sexuality. In the process, a twofold strategy is proposed with which negative perceptions of the sexuality of women in the worldview of Kenya may be addressed: First, this study proposes that it is important to purposefully steer conversations regarding issues of sex and sexuality. The latter is done in the conviction that this is one way of creating a platform for addressing other gender-based injustices that deny Kenyan women the right to live with dignity. Second, by focusing on Kenyan poetry, as well as on the female voice in the Song of Songs, there is a possibility of reconstructing positive aspects of the sexuality of Kenyan women, which may allow them to live with dignity. To achieve the aim of this study, to re-read the Song of Songs for the dignity of Kenyan women, an African Women’s Theological approach is used within the broader context of feminist and womanist approaches to the Song. Through an African Women’s iv Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za approach to the Song of Songs, the study asks how the female voice that spoke boldly in the patriarchal setting of the Old Testament can also be liberating in the Kenyan patriarchal setting. The female voice in Song of Songs presents issues of sex and sexuality in a new way. As such, it is proposed that the latter voice, read through the hermeneutical lens of Kenyan women’s poetry or poetry on Kenyan women, has the potential to inform and therefore to transform the patriarchal setting of the Kenyan society. It is only if Kenyan women are empowered to negotiate safe sex and to express their sexuality on their own terms and conditions, that this will be fully realized. v Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za OPSOMMING Hierdie studie ondersoek een van die sentrale aspekte van ’n Keniaanse vrou se identiteit, naamlik die idee van seksualiteit, wat ongelukkig ook onderliggend is aan talle sosio-ekonomiese en ontwikkelingsuitdagings wat Keniaanse vroue tans konfronteer. Die navorsing toon in Kenia word patriargale ideologieë gebruik om die seksualiteit van vroue te beheer in die naam van ‘ons kultuur’. Dit is dus moeilik vir baie Keniaanse vroue om met waardigheid te leef as gelyk-geskape na die beeld en gelykenis van God. Hierdie studie poog om patriargale ideologieë wat Keniaanse vrouens die reg om met waardigheid te leef ontneem te identifiseer, te kritiseer, te destabiliseer en te dekonstrueer. Die studie daag patriargale ideologieë uit wat gebruik is en word om die stemme van Keniaanse vrouens oor seks en seksualiteit stil te maak. Dit word spesifiek gedoen deur die stemme en ervarings van Keniaanse vrouens in poësie te gebruik (soms in die gedigte van manlike digters!) as uitdrukking van hulle lewens te midde van ”’n patriargale samelewing. Dit word getoon hoedat hiedie gedigte die krag en energie van hierdie vroue kan mobiliseer. Meer nog, die stemme van Keniaanse vrouens bied die geleentheid tot ’n kontekstuele herlees van Hooglied met die oog op die erkening en beskerming van hulle waardigheid. Die vroulike stem in Hooglied word verstaan as ’n nuwe reaksie op die Ou Testamentiese samelewing met betrekking tot kwessies soos seks en seksualiteit. In die proses word daar met ’n tweeledige strategie voorendag gekom waarmee die negatiewe opvattings oor die seksualiteit van vroue in die wêreldbeeld van Keniaanse mans aangespreek kan word. Eerstens word die noodsaak voorgestel van ’n doelbewuste rigtinggewing aan gesprekke oor seks en seksualiteit. Dit word gedoen vanuit die oortuiging dat dit een manier is om ’n platform te skep waar gelsagsgebasseerde ongeregtighede wat Keniaanse vroue die reg op ’n menswaardige lewe ontsê aangespreek kan word. Tweedens, deur op Keniaanse poësie en die vroulike stem in Hooglied te fokus, word voorgestel dat dat posititewe aspekte van die seksualiteit van Keniaanse vroue herkonstrueer kan word, wat dan kan meewerk om hulle met waardigheid te kan laat leef. Ten einde bogenoemde doelwit van hierdie studie te bereik, word ’n Afrika- vrouebenadering toegepas in die lees van Hooglied. Dit vind plaas binne ’n breër konteks van Feministiese en sogenaamde “Womanist” benaderings tot die boek. Met ’n Afrika vroue benadering as leesstrategie, word aangedui dat en hoe die vroulike stem wat vreesloos in haar vi Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za eie patriargale, Ou Testamentiese konteks spreek ook bevrydend kan funksioneer binne die Keniaanse patriargale konteks. Daar word dus getoon dat die vroulike stem in Hooglied seks en seksualiteit op ’n nuwe manier aanbied. Gevolglik stel hierdie studie voor dat die vroulike stem in Hooglied, gelees deur die hermeneutiese lens van Keniaanse gedigte oor of deur vroue, die potensiaal het om die patriargale konteks van die Keniaanse samelewing eendersyds te ontbloot en andersyds te transformeer. Dit is slegs wanneer Keniaanse vroue bemagtig word om vir veilige seks te kan onderhandel en hulle seksualiteit op hulle eie terme uit te kan druk, dat hulle menswaardigheid ten volle gerealiseer sal word. vii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za DEDICATION This study is dedicated to you my mother, Margaret Temuko. Your life, wise and kind words have kept me and sustained me. Even when I saw tears in your eyes during hard times, mother, you always smiled and said God is with us. Your strong faith in God is my source of inspiration. You are an example of the strength of a woman; you live and believe in the dignity, strength and voice of women. This has molded me and created a new identity in me. Your determination to protect and educate both girls and boys motivated me to write this dissertation. It is through your unconditional love, perseverance and determination to face even death for the sake of your children that has continued to sustain me in hard times. That is why in moments like these, I lift up my eyes unto God just to thank God for giving us such a good and wise mother. Mother, you are a good role model to me and my siblings. Your wisdom even surpasses that of King Solomon. I Love you Mama. viii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I want to thank God for journeying with me through my life and my studies. I owe God my life. If I have come this far, it is because of God’s assurance. God, you have convinced me that everything that happens in our lives happens for our good and for the glory and honor of your name. I have experienced your love for humanity. Your divine protection and providence is a constant reminder to me as a woman, that I have been created in your image and likeness and, therefore, I have the right to live with dignity. I am also immensely indebted to my supervisor Professor Juliana Claassens. Professor, you are my mentor and my role model. I have greatly benefited from your insights, commitment, diligence and your passion to read my work even in the labor ward, and while hospitalized with the birth of your daughter Suzanne. I also thank Suzanne for coming into this world at a time when I was writing my dissertation. Your coming symbolized a prophetic precursor that showed that I will finish my PhD. I also thank Professor Robert Vosloo, Professor Claassens’ husband, for always taking care of Suzanne whenever I had to have a one on one talk with Professor Claassens.

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