Transforming Masculinities In African Christianity PDF Download

This study focuses on the intersection of masculinities, gender-based violence (GBV), and African Christianity. It is based on qualitative research done in the Reformed Church in Zambia (RCZ) and is presented in accordance with the seven movements an African postfoundational practical theology. After GBV was identified as a global public health concern and human rights issue, numerous humanitarian initiatives aimed at “transforming masculinities” were launched. These initiatives strongly recommend the involvement of men in the dismantling of patriarchy and gender inequality, which are generally considered the cause of GBV. Zambia, who proudly identifies as an official Christian nation, has been ranked as one of the countries with the highest number of GBV cases. Due to Zambia’s Christian identity, the agency of churches has also been recognised in the fight against GBV. Masculinity has become a popular topic in sermons and promoting certain forms of manhood and expressions of masculinity have become part of many churches’ ministry. This is also the case in the RCZ – a denomination that started out as a mission station in eastern North Rhodesia and has developed into a recognised denomination in Zambia. Following the narrative and ethnographic research methods, and with lived religion and intersectionality as hermeneutical lenses, this study explores the question: How are masculinities lived and experienced in the Zambian church in a time of GBV and HIV? While researching this question, it became apparent that male dominance and male fragility are in a reciprocal cycle, the one continually reinforcing the other, and this cycle became a heuristic key throughout this study. This study offers an in-context descriptive account of the lived experiences and faith practices in the RCZ and broader Zambian context.