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Lll~~Lllllllllllllllllllllt Universiteit Vrystaat the CIRCLE of CONCERNED AFRICAN WOMEN Tiffiologians (1989-2007): HISTORY and THEOLOGY

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Lll~~Lllllllllllllllllllllt Universiteit Vrystaat the CIRCLE of CONCERNED AFRICAN WOMEN Tiffiologians (1989-2007): HISTORY and THEOLOGY ""f"Q'-~.-- lJ.: .. j ';';' I - - ---_:...j umversn:y r-ree erare 1111111111111111111111 ~I~~1~1~~1~111~1~1!lll~~lllllllllllllllllllllt Universiteit Vrystaat THE CIRCLE OF CONCERNED AFRICAN WOMEN TIffiOLOGIANS (1989-2007): HISTORY AND THEOLOGY RACHEL NYAGONDWE FIEDLER Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PHILOSOPHIAE DOCTOR in the Faculty of Theology Department of Ecclesiology at the University of the Free State Promoter: ProfDr I.W. Hofmeyr Bloemfontein, May 2010 Declaration I hereby declare that this is my own work and that all sources used have been duly acknowledged. (Rachel NyaGondwe Fiedler) 5 SEP lUll 10 EK Acknowledgements It has been a longjourney to write this thesis, and I am thankful that I never had to do this journey alone. Firstly, I would like to sincerely thank my supervisor, Prof 1.W. (Hoffie) Hofmeyr, for his crucial guidance. His prompt reading of my drafts helped me to finalize the thesis in good time, and his thought provoking comments pushed me further in presenting my ideas and findings. Secondly, I thank Bishop Dr Kalilombe for his supervision in the earlier stages of my work. My desire to write a history of the Circle was prompted by Musimbi Kanyoro, the Continental Leader of the Circle then. I am grateful to her that she and Nyambura Njoroge managed to find a research grant from the World Council of Churches, that helped me in the collection of information. Without the inspiration of Prof Isabel Apawo Phiri I could never have decided to write on women's issues, and I am sincerely grateful for her encouragement in this area. I would also like to thank all my Sisters in the Circle, especially those that freely provided information for this thesis. Firstly, I would like to thank Philomena Mwaura and Dorcas Akintunde for helping me to see the possibilities of writing in the discipline of historical theology. That their work mostly deals with Evangelical churches encouraged me profoundly to relate this thesis to my own Evangelical context. Secondly, I would like to thank Mercy Amba Oduyoye, for her support in the collection of information for this study. Thirdly, I sincerely thank the following Circle sisters for their special input towards this study: Fulata Moyo, Sarojini Nadar, Beverly Haddad, Christina Landman, Annalet van Schalkwyk, Elizabeth Amoah and Mary Getui. My fellow postgraduate students in Malawi have inspired me to complete this thesis. I have valued their moral support and constructive criticisms of my work. Among them I mention a few: Hany and Molly Longwe, Reinhard Frey, Bruce Ritchie, Ian Dicks, James Tengatenga and Ulf Strohbehn. Without my friends and sisters in the Baptist Convention church in Southern Malawi, relating the theologies of the Circle to Malawi would have been impossible. I thank them for their friendship and willingness to share with me their experiences. This was also facilitated by their pastors, to whom am greatly indebted. I would like to thank Mzuzu University for granting me a two month study leave to finalize the writing of my thesis. In addition, I am grateful to all my students of African Feminist Theology at the same university for their ideas that enriched this study. Lastly I would like to thank my family for their encouragement. Firstly, my parents who put me in school regardless that I was a girl. Alice and Macbeth Mkandawire, who supported me morally and financially in my undergraduate days. My boys and my husband Klaus Fiedler for their moral and spiritual support. Rachel NyaGondwe Fiedler 3 Abstract This thesis is about the history and theology of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (CIRCLE) from 1989 to 2007. The Thesis begins the history from 1989 because this is the time when the Circle was officially launched. The year 2007 is the cut- off point because this research was finalized during the third convocation which ended in that year. The thesis uses a gendered analysis with a feminist bias. Thus experiences of women were a major source for the thesis. This thesis argues that the Circle is an African bom in ecumenical surroundings. The Mother of the Circle is Mercy Amba Oduyoye. However, ecumenical bodies such as the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT) also played a role. The numerical, leadership and administrative growth of the Circle was the product of collaborative work by many members of the Circle. The continental leaders of the Circle gave shape and direction to the Circle while pioneering Circle women and their direct disciples became key agents in promoting the Circle in their various geographical areas. Since its establishment, the Circle has made significant contributions, especially in the field of academia. This is evidenced by a pool of publications by the Circle and its members. The other major contribution to academia is the production of Circle theology. This theology is the voice of African feminists in Africa and beyond. It is characterized by its creativity and distinctiveness as it emphasizes the role of culture and religion in the formulation of African Feminist theology. This theology is diverse and includes evangelical as well as liberal feminist reflections. Using Malawi as a reference point, the spread of the Circle into various geographical areas is conditioned by several factors. In addition, Circle theology can not be applied uncritically to a given context of women. Circle theology as an elite theology must come to terms with the many contradictions in the lives of grassroots women that may be a challenge to appropriating Circle theology summarily. Since Circle theology is valuable in partially solving the problems women face today, there must be an effort to process the theology and make it a liberative tool for grassroots women today, based on their context. 4 Contents Acknowledgements 2 Abstract. 3 'Abbreviations 7 Abbreviations 8 Chapter 1: Introduction 9 1.1 The Problem Statement 9 1.2 Hypothesis 9 1.3 Aim and Objectives , 10 1.4 Justification of the Topic 10 1.5 Arrangement of Chapters 10 1.6 My Position as a Researcher. 10 1.7 Methodology , 11 1.7.1 Primary Sources Il 1.7.2 Secondary Sources 12 1.7.3 Epistemology 13 1.7.4 Theories 13 1.7.5 Theoretical Framework 14 1.8 Literature Review 15 Chapter 2: The Birth of the Circle (1989) 20 2.1 Mercy Amba Oduyoye as an African 21 2.1.1 Her Mother, Mercy Dakwaa Yamoah 21 2.1.2 Her Father the Very Rev Charles Kwa Yamoah B.D. London 25 2.1.3 Her African Theological Training 26 2.2 The Circle with Mixed Parenting 27 2.2.1 Her Husband, Modupe Oduyoye 27 2.2.2 Mercy's Work and Theological Life 29 2.2.3 The Role ofLetty Russel 29 2.2.4 The Role of the International Planning Committee 30 2.2.5 The Role of Brig alia Bam 30 2.3 The Role of the UN Decade for Women 32 2.4 The Role of Theological Institutions 33 2.4.1 Finding others: 1980-1987 '" 33 2.5 The Role of the Institute of Church and Society 34 2.6 The Role of the Programme for Theological Education (PTE) 35 2.7 The Role ofEATWOT 36 2.7.1 The Birth ofEATWOT 39 2.7.2 Circle Theologies as an 'Irruption within an Irruption' 39 2.8 Conclusion: A Reflection .41 Chapter 3: The Growth of the Circle: 1989-2007 .43 3.1 Developments in Leadership ,...43 3.1.1 The Circle under Musimbi Kanyoro 44 3.1.2 Leadership Change (1996) and the Impact on the Circle .45 5 3.1.3 The Role of Mercy Amba Oduyoye in the Appointment of Musimbi Kanyoro .................................................................................................................................... 46 3.1.4 Leadership Changes in 2002 .47 3.1. 5 Issues of Leadership at the 2002 Conference .4 7 3.1.6 Challenges to the Change of Continental Leaders .49 3.1.7 Leadership through Collaboration 50 3.1.8 Leadership through Advocacy 52 3.2 Growth in Geographical Coverage 53 3.2.1 The Birth of the Circle Chapter in Ghana 55 3.2.2 Nigeria 60 3.2.3 The Beginnings of the Circle Chapters in East and Central Africa 61 3.2.4 Southern Africa 73 3.2.5. The Place of Zonal Circle Meetings in the Spread of the Circle 79 3.2.6 Zonal Meetings as Hotbeds for Developing Local Chapters 81 3.2.7 Zonal Meetings 1989-1996 82 3.2.8 The State of Local Chapters 1989-2007 88 3.3 Administrative Development.. 91 3.4 The Constitution 93 3.5 Conclusion 93 Chapter 4: Circle Theology 95 4.1 The Place of the Circle in Relation to Contextual Theology 95 4.1.1 The Place of the Circle in Liberation Theology 97 4.1.2 The Place of the Circle in Feminist Theology 100 4.1.3 Defining Circle Theology as Feminism and Liberation Theology 102 4.2 Circle Methodology 103 4.2.1 Data Collection 103 4.2.2 Epistemology 108 4.3 Major Epistemologies in Circle Research 109 4.3.1 An Interpretation of Gender Relations (Relational Theology) 109 4.3.2 Cultural Reinterpretation 110 4.3.3 Examples of Works Based on Cultural Hermeneutics ll1 4.3.4 Textual Reinterpretation 113 4.3.5 The Androcentric Nature of the Bible and Bible Intelpreters 114 4.3.6 Evangelical Interpretation 116 4.4 Conclusion 124 Chapter 5: The Birth and Growth of the Circle in Malawi. 126 5.1 Women's Exposure to Feminist and Liberation Movements 127 5.2 Presence of Academic Women at the International Planning Cornrnittee 127 5.3 Community Survival 128 5.4 The Role of Discipleship 129 5.5 The Role of Missionary Christianity 131 5.6 The Role of Globalization 132 5.7 The Evangelical Nature of Malawi Churches 133 5.8 Church Affiliation 134 5.9 Availability of and Access to Circle Books 135 5.10 Less Malawi Representation at Circle Meetings 136 6 5.11
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