Ragbag Theologies. Essays in honour of. Denise M Ackermann. A Feminist Theologian of Praxis. Editors

Transcription

1 Ragbag Theologies Essays in honour of Denise M Ackermann A Feminist Theologian of Praxis Editors Miranda Pillay Sarojini Nadar Clint Le Bruyns

2 Ragbag Theologies Essays in honour of Denise M Ackermann, a feminist theologian of praxis Published by SUN PReSS All rights reserved. Copyright EFSA 2009 and contributing authors No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, photographic or mechanical means, including photocopying and recording on record, tape or laser disk, on microfilm, via the Internet, by , or by any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission by the publisher. First edition 2009 ISBN Set in 11/14 Adobe Garamond Pro Cover artwork by Denise Ackermann Cover design by Sonja Badenhorst Typesetting by SUN MeDIA SUN PReSS is an imprint of AFRICAN SUN MeDIA. Academic, professional and reference works are published under this imprint in print and electronic format. This publication may be ordered directly from Printed and bound by SUN MeDIA Stellenbosch, Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch, 7600.

3 Co n t r i b u t o r s Denise M Ackermann (Ph.D.) is Extraordinary Professor in Practical Theology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Karin Chubb (M.A.), formerly National Vice-President of the Black Sash, is Executive Director of Homes for Kids in South Africa (HOKISA), South Africa. L Juliana M Claassens (Ph.D.) is Extraordinary Visiting Associate Professor in Old and New Testament at Stellenbosch University, South Africa and Visiting Professor at Wesley Theological Seminary, United States of America. G Daan Cloete (Ph.D.) is Extraordinary Professor in Theology and Director of the Programme for Lay Theological Education (PLATE) at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. James R Cochrane (Ph.D.) is Professor in Religious Studies, Co-Principal of the African Religious Health Assets Programme (ARHAP) and Director of the Research Institute on Christianity and Society in Africa (RICSA) at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Ernst M Conradie (Ph.D.) is Professor in Systematic Theology and Ethics at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. John W de Gruchy (Ph.D.) is Emeritus Professor of Christian Studies at the University of Cape Town and Extraordinary Professor in Systematic Theology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Eliza Jane Getman (Ph.D. cand.) is an Anglican priest and Chaplain at Durban Girls College, South Africa. Lyn Holness (Ph.D.) is Senior Co-Ordinator for Research Development at the University of Cape Town and Research Associate in Systematic Theology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Nangula E Kathindi (M.Th.), formerly Provincial Executive Officer of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA), South Africa, is an Anglican priest in Namibia. Douglas Lawrie (Ph.D.) is Professor in Old Testament Studies at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Clint Le Bruyns (Ph.D.) is Senior Lecturer in Systematic Theology (Public Theology and Ethics) and Co-Ordinator of Research Development at Stellenbosch University, South Africa and Adjunct-Professor in Leadership and Development at Eastern University, United States of America. Christo Lombard (Ph.D.) is Professor in Systematic Theology at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Daniël J Louw (Ph.D.) is retired Professor in Practical Theology, Pastoral Care and Counselling at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Thabo Makgoba (Ph.D.) is Archbishop of Cape Town and Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA), South Africa. Melissa M Marley (M.Div. cand.) is completing research on Denise Ackermann as a student in theology and church history at George Fox University, United States of America. Sarojini Nadar (Ph.D.) is Senior Lecturer in Hebrew Bible and Director of the Gender and Religion Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Marion Nixon (M.A.) is a registered professional Aromatherapist, South Africa. Mercy Amba Oduyoye (Ph.D.), founder of The Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians, is Director of the Institute of Women in Religion and Culture at Trinity Theological Seminary, Ghana. Miranda N Pillay (Ph.D.) is Senior Lecturer in New Testament Studies and Ethics at the University of the Western Cape, Lay Canon in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA) and Convenor of the Cape Town Chapter of The Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians, South Africa. Susan Rakoczy, IHM (Ph.D.) is a religious sister and Professor of Spirituality and Systematic Theology at St. Joseph s Theological Institute and Honorary Professor in the School of Religion and Theology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Azila Talit Reisenbeger (Ph.D.) is Senior Lecturer in Bible and Hebrew Literature at the University of Cape Town and a spiritual leader (Rabbi) of the Jewish Progressive Community, South Africa. Sarah Rowland Jones, LVO OBE (Ph.D. cand.), formerly Research and Ecumenical Advisor to Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, is an Anglican priest and now serves in the office of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, South Africa. Dirkie J Smit (Ph.D.) is Professor of Systematic Theology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Karin Sporre (Ph.D.) is Professor in Educational Work at Umeå University and Visiting Professor in Religious Studies at Karlstad University, Sweden. Anlené Taljaard (M.Th.) is a Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa proponent and serves in the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Herman C Waetjen (Ph.D.) is the Robert S Dollar Emeritus Professor of New Testament at San Francisco Theological Seminary, United States of America.

4 EFSA I INTERDISCIPLINARY N S T I T U T E F O R T H E O RESEARCH L O G I C A L & Ecumenical Foundation of Southern Africa (EFSA) The EFSA Institute is an independent ecumenical institute that functions under a non-profitable trust. It consists of a unique network of participating institutions: representatives of the Faculties of Theology and the Departments of Religious Studies of the Universities of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town (UCT) and Stellenbosch (US), as well as the South African Council of Churches Western Cape (SACCWC), are represented on the Board and Executive of the EFSA Institute. Generally speaking, the EFSA Institute attempts to promote consensus between different sectors, interest groups and stakeholders on the challenges and problems facing our society. It strives to play a facilitating role by providing a platform for the public debate of even controversial issues. Both in its structure and function there is a dialectic tension between an academic (research-based) approach and the need to address specific needs of the church and other religious communities. This is imbedded in the main issues facing the churches in our society. In a general sense the EFSA Institute tries to focus public attention (and the attention of the church or academic institutions) on specific problems in society. Currently, the focus is on the following priorities: Firstly, the development role of the church and other religious communities: the eradication of poverty in South Africa; the role of religious networks in community development, in social and welfare services; and the development of community and youth leadership. Secondly, the healing and reconciliatory role of the church and other religious communities: this includes a project on the role of women in the healing of our violent society; the mobilisation of the church and religious communities against crime and violence; and the breaking down of stereotypes (racism) in our society. Thirdly, the formation of values in the strengthening of a moral society by the church and other religious communities: the promotion of moral values such as honesty, support for the weak, respect for life and human rights. Fourthly, the development of youth and community leadership: special courses for the development of leadership skills among our youth have been developed and are presented to support the building of a new society. It is also significant that the EFSA Institute is the Secretariat to the National Religious Association for Social Development (NRASD) that was approved as a Principal Recipient in the South African Country 2009 Proposal to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. These priorities cannot be separated from one another, since many of the complex social issues are interrelated. Dr Renier A Koegelenberg Executive Director Executive Chairperson, Prof H Russel Botman Executive Director, Dr Renier A Koegelenberg Postal address: P.O. Box 3103, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa Office of the Executive Director Phone: +27 (0) Fax.: +27 (0) Mobile: +27 (0) efsa@iafrica.com Website:

5 Ac k n o w l e d g m e n t s EFSA gratefully acknowledges the following institutions for their sponsorship of the conference and this publication: Die Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD) Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (EED) We are immensely grateful to all who contributed to this Festschrift in honour of Denise Ackermann. A special word of thanks is extended to Archbishop Thabo Makgoba whose contribution in the form of the Foreword pays fitting tribute to Denise. We also express our thanks and appreciation to Nadia Marais for her assistance with the copy editing, to Edwin Heese for the language editing, to Woldemar Cloete who assisted with the proof-reading, and to the peer reviewers for their constructive assessment. Lastly, we are grateful to the Ecumenical Foundation of Southern Africa (EFSA), the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology (Stellenbosch University) and the Department of Religion and Theology (University of the Western Cape) for their partnership in this project, and to Liezel Meintjes and SUN MeDIA Stellenbosch for publishing this manuscript. The Editors December 2009

6 Table of Contents Foreword Thabo Makgoba... 1 Introduction Unpacking our Ragbag Miranda N. Pillay, Sarojini Nadar & Clint Le Bruyns... 5 PART 1 Cloths of Context 1. Hope in Times of Despair Denise Ackermann and the Black Sash Karin Chubb A Woman of Courage, Intelligence, Compassion and Substance Eliza Jane Getman Women in Ministry A Continuing Challenge Mercy Amba Oduyoye Denise Ackermann An Anglican Woman Theologian Nangula E. Kathindi On Belonging and Longing Anlené Taljaard PART 2 Cloths of Spirituality 6. Living with Locusts and Honey The Life of a Properly Provocative Practical Theologian Sarah Rowland Jones Health, Wholeness and Holiness Marion Nixon A Little Child Shall Lead Them Lyn Holness The Boldest Meal A Reflection on the Eucharist Theology of Denise Ackermann Melissa M. Marley Translating Spirituality into Words Azila Talit Reisenberger From Phenomenology to Ontology in the Gender Debate Feminine without Femininity beyond Feminism? Daniël J. Louw Ecofeminist Spirituality Of and For Life Susan Rakoczy The Risk of Spirituality Douglas Lawrie

7 PART 3 Cloths of Theology 14. Circles of Abundant Life A Tribute to Denise Ackermann Sarojini Nadar Simple and Straightforward? On Doing Theology Dirkie J. Smit On Locusts and Wild Honey Letter Writing as Doing Theology John W. de Gruchy Reflections on the Public Face of Theology James R. Cochrane The Image of the Wailing Woman and the Task of the Feminist Theologian With Special Attention to the Role of Lament in the Book of Matthew L. Juliana M. Claassens The Role of Women in the Transformation of the Johannine Community Daan Cloete Through the Eyes of a Mother Re-reading Luke s Mary as a Resource for Gender Equality in the 21 st Century? Miranda N. Pillay The Earth in God s Womb? Ernst M. Conradie Incarnation, Theosis and the Deliverance of God s Creation Herman C. Waetjen PART 4 Using and Re-Using our Cloths 23. Post-apartheid Challenges to Theologians A Swedish Feminist Reflection on Conditions for a Common Humanity Karin Sporre Found Wanting and Left Untried? Confessions of a Ragbag Theologian Denise M. Ackermann Afterword Celebratory Conference on the Theology and Spirituality of Denise M. Ackermann Reflection and Vote of Thanks Christo Lombard Publications by Denise M. Ackermann

8 Fo r e wo r d Thabo Makgoba It was Kenneth Kaunda who said that what a nation needs more than anything else is not a Christian ruler in the palace, but a Christian prophet within earshot. The institutional church also perennially stands in dire need of such prophets and in Denise Ackermann, we in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, together with the global Anglican Communion and Christians of all denominations, have been remarkably blessed with just such an incisive voice, speaking into the very heart of our recent turbulent decades. Hers had been a voice that we have needed to hear. It is all too easy for historic institutions to pay more attention to our roots in the past than to today s changing seasons above ground. Sometimes it is said that Anglicanism is entirely happy to embrace change provided it does not make a difference. But the human condition is such that there is always need, urgent need, to do better and to rise to the changing challenges of life; and so we must constantly have our eyes opened to what is awry, and to where we are required to go forward into a fuller expression of the glorious freedom of salvation and redemption that is God s purpose for us. It takes a bold individual to challenge accepted orthodoxies, and Denise has certainly shown boldness in her life, within the church and beyond its walls. I find myself both tested and encouraged by her own personal integrity an integrity she shares with Laurie, her husband, to the extent that they placed principles before self-interest in their stand against apartheid, paying the price financially, socially, and emotionally. Perhaps it is because she is both insider and outsider that Denise can speak with such clarity and such persuasiveness within our Southern African context: white, educated and theologically trained, and yet a lay person, a woman, and rooted as much within the Reformed tradition as within Anglicanism. Coming late to theology, and to the structures of our church, she brought a fresh eye that saw beneath the surface, questioning unconsidered assumptions and habits borne of easy custom rather than careful reflection. She has certainly not pulled her punches in areas where refuge had been taken in so-called tradition as an excuse for failing to tackle matters of gender and race, among others, where our claimed commitment to a liberating hermeneutic for all was sorely put to shame by our own behaviour, and sometimes even by comparison with the progress of secular society. Though in many ways speaking 1

9 from a position of privilege, she has always done so in authentic solidarity with those who have been excluded, marginalised, diminished or silenced. And she has done all this with both firmness and tenderness for if ever anyone truly embodied that mythical critical friend of which we so often speak, it would be Denise. I have never doubted that the critique she offers is rooted in a deep love for the church, a love which wells up from knowing, in head and heart, that this is the church which God loves. As she gently, yet clearly points to where we err, it is as though in Christ-like love she is also pointing us to the redemptive solution that he offers to us. I experienced this personally, when our synod agreed we should endorse and support the Millennium Development Goals, and she challenged me profoundly on how the church s agenda must always be, and be seen to be, focused above all on the gospel of Jesus, and not appear to be following some manifesto of international politics and economics, however worthy. It felt as though, in bringing her concerns to me, she was also entrusting to me the responsibility for caring for the church she so loved, through ensuring its faithfulness to its true calling. If Denise is uncompromising with us (and rightly so), she is surely ruthless with herself. Her integrity is most of all seen in her love for Jesus, the man on the borrowed donkey whose hiddenness, even absence, she so much grieves whenever the church puts on its greatest shows of pomp and circumstance, or in other ways allows its attention to stray from our Lord and the needs of his world, which God so loved that he sent his Son not to condemn, but to save. Above all else, Denise yearns to see the salvation of God writ large in his church, in his world, and in broken and hurting humanity and yearns to see his gospel promises lived and shared to the full, through his people. She has written there are no teachings in the whole of the scriptures that demand more of us than do the beatitudes... Yet there are few others today who more exemplify to me those of Jesus Christ s fourth bidding, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. My prayer is that she may indeed be filled with all the riches of God s blessing, and find that hunger and thirst satisfied by Christ s gift of himself, in her still remarkably active retirement. What else could such a person be, but a feminist theologian of praxis? Denise is a theologian, because she allows herself to be caught up in the things of God, in every dimension of her being: heart and soul and mind and strength; and for her neighbour as much as for herself. I have been endlessly struck by her huge generosity towards others, and been its recipient, too her reference helped me gain a Proctor Scholarship to study at the Episcopal Divinity School. Hand-in-hand with this generosity to others comes a remarkable humility, as she seeks to serve the well-being of all God s children. Only last year, she spent time sitting in as a silent observer on a seminar I was leading for new bishops, to ensure that in her own teaching she did not duplicate what I had said. As a theologian, she is a feminist, not only because she is a woman, and women have suffered so much at the hands of a patriarchal world and a patriarchal church, but also because the best of feminism brings liberation not only 2 Ragbag Theologies

10 to women, but to all who are constrained and diminished by the narrow roles and other limitations which patriarchy and all systems of oppression impose on everyone they encompass. Her feminism affirms and dignifies both men and women. And of course, it is praxis to which Denise is committed the continuing mutual interplay of reflection and practice, which has found voice in the holistic nature of her own life and teaching. For what use is theology, or feminism, if we cannot live it? And what is life, other than the very crucible of our learning of the things of God and his salvation, through our own experience? I hope the church has been learning from her example, as well as her fine teaching and I trust this book will help us appreciate more fully all that we can gain from her. We still need to move further away from past tendencies to privilege the cognitive over the affective side of faith, to privilege men over women (to say nothing of rich over poor, powerful over weak, forthright over voiceless, and in every way favour insiders over outsiders), and to privilege theory over the realities of our lives in the world and within the body of Christ. We are, I believe, heading in the right direction, though we must go further, both in overcoming old habits of partiality, and in looking with fresh eyes at the new realities of the twenty-first century, to see who are now being marginalised, excluded, diminished or rendered voiceless. Too many still bear the scars and carry the pains of their broken past, even as contemporary society finds ways to inflict new wounds. Race remains an issue, though its context and expression may be subtly different. Gender questions, particularly violence against women and children, is of considerable concern, though I hope that with the appointment of a gender action coordinator and liaison bishop for the Province, and an increasing number of gender desks within our Dioceses, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa is becoming more practically engaged in ways that can make a tangible difference. We also need to learn better to reflect on our experience of, and our response to, God s active presence in every dimension of all the fullness of his creation. For me this is exemplified in the story of Noah. After the flood has subsided, God blesses Noah and his sons. Again he tells them to be fruitful, to flourish, and to fill the earth. He tells them that they must not shed human life; he promises that he will never again destroy the earth s inhabitants with a flood; and he sends a rainbow as the sign of this covenant. In this I see three principles, three touchstones, for the way we should live, and help others to live: first, the sanctity of human life, from the moment of conception through to treating the disabled, the sick, the dying, with the utmost respect; second, the integrity of creation, which includes protecting our environment; third, the dignity of difference, from the colours in the rainbow, to the biodiversity of our planet, to the variety of humanity ourselves, created with every possible race and colour and language and culture and personality and character. When faced with today s challenges, we can ask ourselves How can I, can we, preserve the sanctity of life, uphold the integrity of creation, and promote the dignity of difference? And we Fo r e wo r d 3

11 can challenge others in love, as Denise has taught us to make our challenges over whether their attitudes, their words, their actions, meet these principles. One of my earliest, and most pleasurable, tasks as Archbishop of Cape Town was to recommend that Denise be made a member of the Order of St Simon of Cyrene for her distinguished service, not only to Southern Africa and its churches, but also the world-wide Anglican Communion. In her distinguished academic career; in the broad scope of her publishing; in her contribution to the church s transition beyond apartheid (particularly though her wonderful volume After the Locusts, to whose pages I regularly return); in her important work on gender questions and around how we view HIV and AIDS; in her role as a theological consultant to the 1998 Lambeth Conference; in her skilfulness as a spiritual director; in her transformative participation within the Black Sash, the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians, the Institute for Contextual Theology, the South African Council of Churches, and the Institute of Christian Spirituality, to name but a few in all these areas and many more we have been remarkably enriched. Denise describes her all-encompassing curiosity with every aspect of life, and how we may more fully encounter God within it, as Ragbag Theology. In delving into her ragbag, she reminds me of those scribes trained for the kingdom of heaven, who, said Jesus, are like the owner of the house bringing out of the storeroom new treasures as well as old (Matt. 13:52). Her ragbag is for the rest of us a treasure trove of unexpected delights, set against one another in ways that dazzle and delight as well as confront and challenge. One of her greatest gifts, to us who listen to her teachings and read her writings, is her ability to let anything and everything inform anything and everything else and be informed by it: to critique and be critiqued in a way that is quite the opposite of the all too familiar trend in some walks of academia of knowing more and more about less and less. No, Denise helps us find holy freedom to pursue life in all its fullness and abundance, in the love and joy of the Lord! This celebration amply demonstrates how a ragbag can provide the resources for a patchwork of peacock-like brilliance. May I express thanks to everyone who made it possible, particularly the editors and contributors. Special gratitude is due to Miranda Pillay, who provided so much of the inspiration behind both the original conference and the contributions it inspired. My gratitude also goes to Sarah Rowland Jones, my researcher, for assisting me with this input. Let me end with the aphorism from G. K. Chesterton that Denise loves to quote: The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried. She, more than most, shows us what it is to try and keep on trying; and, more than most, in her example and in her writings, she encourages and teaches us how we, too, can try and keep on trying. Thank you, Denise. 4 Ragbag Theologies

12 In t ro d u c t i o n Unpacking our Ragbag Mir a n d a N. Pi l l ay, Sa ro j i n i Na da r & Cl i n t Le Bru y n s At a recent celebratory dinner in honour of five recipients of honorary doctorates from the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, Denise Ackermann who was one of the recipients of this great honour told three significant stories of her student days at Stellenbosch University. She began by revealing that she was the first woman student at Stellenbosch University to wear jeans a public act in defiance of the unwritten rules of proper attire and behaviour for young women. In the second story, she related how she had led a protest against the poor quality of food in the student residences, only to be threatened with subsequent expulsion if she did not abandon such behaviour. Given that her father would have considered expulsion a rather bitter pill to swallow, she decided instead to swallow the food and tolerate its stodginess. The third and final story had her audience in bouts of laughter when she related how a requirement for women students to receive lunch on a Sunday was that they had to wear nylon stockings! Not being able to understand the connection between the receiving of food and the wearing of these unbearably uncomfortable stockings, and being fully aware of the University s attitude toward any form of protest, Denise eventually decided to draw a line down the back of her legs with a black eye-pencil to feign the illusion that she was actually wearing the stockings, so she would not have to go hungry on a Sunday. The irony, therefore, of her receiving an honorary doctorate from this institution which seemed, at least from Denise s stories, to be a paragon of patriarchal values became clear to all present. And so the question is, what did she do now to deserve such an honour? The answer lies partly in what Mercy Oduyoye, the founder of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (hereafter the Circle), and the only other woman recipient of the five honorary doctorates being conferred on that day had to say. Oduyoye related how in response to her revelation to friends that she was receiving such an honour from Stellenbosch University; she would be met with the question: What did you do? Her response was I did not do anything we all have simply become more human! 5

13 We all have become more human. If this is indeed true, and we would suggest from the decision of Stellenbosch University to not just confer the honorary doctorate upon Denise Ackermann, but to also contribute to the publication of this book, that it is indeed true; then Denise has been at least fractionally successful in her academic and practical pursuit of a recognition of human dignity for all. She has contributed to, and participated in the history of Stellenbosch University, and indeed of the country as a whole in those crucial turning points in history, when we all simply became more human. Denise, who is Extraordinary Professor at Stellenbosch University was, until her retirement in 2000, Professor of Practical Theology at the University of the Western Cape. It is Denise s work toward the humanity of all, which prompted this particular collection of essays in her honour. The idea of honouring Denise with a Festschrift for her 70 th birthday in 2005 was discussed among members of the Cape Town Chapter of the Circle who, at the time, met at Denise s home. As a Circle Publication the aim was to honour Denise for the academic mentoring she had given to many emerging women researchers in theology. In this book, which you hold in your hands, this idea has become a nuanced reality a collection of essays which pays tribute to, celebrates and engages with the multifaceted work of Denise Ackermann as a feminist theologian of praxis. The process of collecting the essays culminated in a one-day conference on the Theology and Spirituality of Denise M. Ackermann, held at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, on 5 September It was at this event that the context for celebrating and engaging the contribution of Denise s life and work was set for the book. When Denise used the term ragbag theologies to describe her work at this conference held in her honour, it was not with the intention of coining a new metaphor. But, like any good metaphor it does have the potential to describe in concrete terms; to challenge ways of perceiving and being; to cause some uneasiness; and to present alternative ways of seeing and being. The metaphor also points to the dynamic tension between theory and praxis which underscores Denise s work as a feminist theologian of praxis. Thus it is no surprise that ragbag theologies became one of the guiding principles in selecting both the contributions to the book and indeed it also became the chosen title of this book. Hence, what we present to you here is indeed a ragbag of theologies theologies that are eclectic in nature some may not even be considered theology by the mainstream/malestream academy. As editors, however, we thought that it was crucial to capture the spirit of that momentous day on 5 September 2008, when theologians and various other reflective practitioners from all walks of life gathered to pay tribute to, and to engage with the work of Denise a ragbag theologian, as she names herself. In her own essay, which we have included as a fitting end to this book, she confesses that her theologising has taken her on many byways that her theology is not a neat corpus of work. A collection of essays which seeks to honour Denise 6 Ragbag Theologies