The Will to Arise: Women, Tradition, and the Church in Africa

What is the reality of being African, woman, and Christian? In this collection of original essays, African women theologians write about the life and dreams, the sorrows and joys of African women in a continent where religion shapes the whole of life. The first two parts of the book describe the role of women in terms of culture, rites of passage, and daily life. Attitudes toward birthing and naming, marriage and widowhood, polygamy, prostitution, and death are all explored. The third part focuses on the church, reviewing biblical attitudes toward women, and showing how African women can and should contribute to the life of the Christian church.