When “African Theology” was first formulated, women played just a small role. In 1989 Mercy Amba Oduyoye set out to change this by creating the Circle of Concerned African Theologians in order to give them a voice. The Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians is an African Baby, born in an ecumenical surrounding. Though there were other movements addressing the issue of gender inequalities in church and society, circle theologies are distinct from other women's liberation movements in that they are theologies formed in the context of African culture and religion. This book traces the Circle history from 1989 to 2007.

Endemic worldwide and strong in Malawi, Gender Based Violence permeates all structures of society. So lecturers and students of Mzuzu University in Northern Malawi have worked together to find the reality and any attempts to remedy it. The articles represent research in different communities of the three regions of Malawi. One article presents the background study from which the Mzuzu University Gender Policy was developed, another shows the role of a Police Victim Support Unit, and the final article relates Muslim teaching that should reduce the incidence of Gender Based Violence in Muslim communities. The role of religion is addressed with negative and positive examples.

This book presents a story of the experiences of being church of the pastors’ wives within the Baptist Convention of Malawi (BACOMA). Formed in 1970 out of the missionary endeavours of the North American-based Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), BACOMA is a voluntary national association of Baptist churches. Molly Longwe‘s book presents a concise picture of African Feminist Theology and to relates it to the lived experiences of pastors‘ wives in the Baptist Convention of Malawi.

"I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in issues of church unity, justice, liberation, biblical transformation, dignity, hope, joy, resilience, peace, prayer and reconciliation. The best Malawian scholars have drawn from their academic expertise and personal experience to give the reader a thick picture of the journey of unity among the Synods of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This publication is a must-have for all who have the unity of the CCAP at heart." Prof Isabel Apawo Phiri, Former Deputy General Secretary, World Council of Churches and Vice Chancellor, University of Blantyre Synod

This is a pioneering volume that emerges from the voices of women scholars who belong to the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians in their response to the subjection of women and children in religion and public life. The book uses the metaphor "Chikamoneka" literally meaning, it shall be seen, to demonstrate resistance to all forms of oppression by empire to humanity, especially those inflicted on women and children. Some of the themes that addressed in this book are drawn from women's lived experiences. This demonstrates the power of narrative theory as a tool for academic discourse. The book makes a vital contribution to academic, religious and secular society in the field of Gender, Religion, Development and Sociology. It is also the first publication by the Zambian Women of Circle.

Captures the multiple voices of Christian theology in a diverse and interconnected world through in-depth studies of representative figures and overviews of key movements Providing an unparalleled overview of the subject, The Modern Theologians provides an indispensable guide to the diverse approaches and perspectives within Christian theology from the early twentieth century to the present. Each chapter is written by a leading scholar and explores the development and trajectory of modern theology while presenting critical accounts of a broad range of relevant topics and representative thinkers. The fourth edition of The Modern Theologians is fully updated to provide readers with a clear picture of the broad spectrum and core concerns of modern Christian theology worldwide. It offers new perspectives on key twentieth-century figures and movements from different geographical and ecclesial contexts. There are expanded sections on theological dialogue with non-Christian traditions, and on Christian theology's engagement with the arts and sciences. A new section explores theological responses to urgent global challenges - such as nationalism, racism, and the environmental crisis. Providing the next generation of theologians with the tools needed to take theological conversations forward, The Modern Theologians: Explores Christian theology's engagement with multiple ways of knowing across diverse approaches and traditions Combines introductions to key modern theologians and coverage of the major movements within contemporary theology Identifies common dynamics found across theologies to enable cross-contextual comparisons Positions individual theologians in geographical regions, trans-local movements, and ecclesial contexts Features new and revised chapters written by experts in particular movements, topics, and individuals Providing in-depth critical evaluation and extensive references to further readings and research, Ford's The Modern Theologians: An Introduction to Christian Theology since 1918, Fourth Edition, remains an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in Theology and Religious Studies, such as Introduction to Christian Theology, Systematic Theology, Modern Theology, and Modern Theologians. It is also an invaluable resource for researchers, those involved in various forms of Christian ministry, teachers of religious studies, and general readers engaged in independent study.

Religion, Gender, and Wellbeing in Africa argues that, in many African societies, ideas and practices of wellbeing and gender relations continue to be informed and shaped by religious epistemologies. The contributors affirm that for many Africans, it is through religio-spiritual frameworks that daily experiences, interactions, and gender relations are understood and interpreted. However, for many African women, religions have functioned as a double-edged-sword. Although they have contributed to the struggle against issues such as colonialism, gender justice, climate justice, and human rights, they have also endorsed and perpetuated sexism, heterosexism, homophobia, and the denial of human rights for a wide variety of people on the margins. The chapters within this collection demonstrate that most religions and religious formations in Africa have not yet positioned themselves as forces for wellbeing, gender justice, and security for African women and children. The contributors challenge simplistic and superficial readings and interpretations of religio-spirituality in Africa and call for deeper engagements of the interplay between Africa’s religio-spiritual realities and the wellbeing of women, particularly around issues of gender justice, reproductive health, and human rights.

Andrew M. Mbuvi makes the case for African biblical studies as a vibrant and important emerging distinct discipline, while also using its postcolonial optic to critique biblical studies for its continued underlying racially and imperialistically motivated tendencies. Mbuvi argues that the emergence of biblical studies as a discipline in the West coincides with, and benefits from, the establishment of the colonial project that included African colonization. At the heart of the colonial project was the Bible, not only as ferried by missionaries, who often espoused racialized views, to convert “heathens in the distant lands,” but as the text used in the racialized justification of the colonial violence. Interpretive approaches established within these racist and colonialist matrices continue to dominate the discipline, perpetuating racialized interpretive methodology and frameworks. On these grounds, Mbuvi makes the case that the continued marginalization of non-western approaches is a reflection of the continuing colonialist structure and presuppositions in the discipline of biblical studies. African Biblical Studies not only exposes and critiques these persistent oppressive and subjugating tendencies but showcases how African postcolonial methodologies and studies, that prioritize readings from the perspective of the marginalized and oppressed, offer an alternative framework for the discipline. These readings, while destabilizing and undermining the predominantly white Euro-American approaches and their ingrained prejudices, and problematizing the biblical text itself, posit the need for biblical interpretation that is anti-colonial and anti-racist.

"Let My people go and serve Me regardless of sex" is the ultimate appeal from God. Unfortunately, some cultural practices and wrong interpretations of the Bible have excluded some, especially women, from attaining key leadership roles. Culturally, women are considered second class and men's property, source of evil and "weaker vessels." A wrong interpretation of the scriptures has sidelined women from obtaining decision making positions. This is the result of what may be called, "a One-Dimensional Approach," and a recommendation is made to "re-read" the biblical texts as well as Chewa culture and the history of the synod with a "Multi-Dimensional Approach" in which the literary, theological-rhetorical and historical-cultural aspects are all considered, because this approach liberates the oppressed and the marginalized.