Abstract:
This article addresses the overwhelmingly negative experience and feeling of some men who
serve under female leaders in the church. They claim to feel degraded and traumatised by
the experience of being led by women. They also claim that their patriarchal culture and
religion is defied by such actions and laws of equality that encourage female leadership. They
substantiate their views by quoting 1 Corinthians 14:34−35 and 1 Timothy 2:12−14 in addition
to a Setswana proverb, ‘Tsa etelelwa pele ke e namagadi di wela ka lengope’ [those who are led
by a female leader fall into dongas]. In the light of this situation an intensive study regarding
the need for an egalitarian concept and constructive interpretation of Bible passages, Setswana
proverbs and idioms regarding the inevitability of female leadership is paramount to people
who have an androcentric concept of religion and culture.
Description:
This article is an adaptation of G.H.S.’s (University of
Pretoria) thesis, undertaken within the Department of
Practical Theology at the University of Pretoria, as supervised
by M.M. (University of Pretoria).
