1st Edition
Gender, African Philosophies, and Concepts
This volume sets out to explore, propose, and generate feminist theories based on African indigenous philosophies and concepts. It investigates specific philosophical and ethical concepts that emerge from African indigenous religions and considers their potential for providing feminist imagination for social justice-oriented earth communities. The contributions examine African indigenous concepts such as Ubuntu, ancestorhood, trickster discourse, Mupo, Akwaaba, Tukumbeng, Eziko, storytelling, and Ngozi . They look to deconstruct oppressive social categories of gender, class, ethnicity, race, colonialism, heteronormativity, and anthropocentricism. The book will be of interest to scholars of religion, philosophy, gender studies, and African studies.
List of Contributors
Preface
Chammah J. Kaunda
Introduction: the philosophical and ethical ways of African women
Telesia K. Musili
Part I Gender, the living, the dead, and conceptual theories
1 Ancestorhood, gender, and justice-loving earth community
Tshenolo Jennifer Madigele
2 Ngozi (the justice-seeking spirit) as a form of restorative justice among the Shona people of Zimbabwe: a critical analysis of Emmanuel Francis Ribeiro’s novel Muchadura (You shall confess), 1967
Enna Sukutai Gudhlanga and Patience Yeukai Museruka
3 Vavenda philosophy of mupo: incorporating aspects of aesthetics and Romanticism
Yvonne Winfildah Takawira-Matwaya
Part II Gender, philosophy, and ethics of hospitality
4 Ubuntu and gender: on building justice-loving communal spaces
Excellent Chireshe
5 In the akwaaba space: gender and religion in the welcome space
Rev. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah
Part III Gender, ethics, and philosophies of resistance
6 When the subaltern speaks: reading the Mmutle (Hare) way
Musa W. Dube
7 Anowa: continuing our conversations for liberation
Abena Kyere
8 Takumbeng embodied arts of resistance in Cameroon
Alice Yahfeh-Deigh
Part IV Gender, sage spaces, and ways of knowing and being
9 Eziko: storying space, gender, and knowledge construction
Nobuntu Penxa-Matholeni and Musa W. Dube
10 Women and shrines in African indigenous religion: a case study of the Shona in Zimbabwe
Silindiwe Zvingowanisei
11 Imbusa as a sacred space and the role of banachimbusa as spiritual leaders
Lilian C. Siwila & Sylvia K. Mukuka
Part V Gender, ethics, and African political philosophy
12 The Kgotla space: African political philosophy, gender, and community building in the public space
Abel Tabalaka and Kenosi Molato
13 Gender (in)justice in the political philosophy of Julius Nyerere
Dogara Ishaya Manomi
14 The Afrocentric-Womanist Paradigm
Seyram B. Amenyedzi
Biography
Musa W. Dube, the William Ragsdale Cannon Distinguished Professor of the New Testament, is a Humboldtian awardee (2011) and winner of the Gutenberg Teaching Award (2017) biblical scholar based at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, USA. Dube is also Professor Extraordinaire of the Institute of Gender Studies, UNISA.
Telesia K. Musili is Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Nairobi.
Sylvia Owusu-Ansah is Dean of the School of Theology at Perez University College, Pomades, Winneba, Ghana. She is also Head Pastor of Revival Temple, Perez Chapel Int., La, Accra, Ghana.
