Browsing by Author "Orpin, Dooyum Atindi"

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    Challenging hegemonic masculinity in John 7:53-8:11
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12) Orpin, Dooyum Atindi; Nel, Marius Johannes; Van der Walt, C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Violence against women can be perpetrated in various ways, among which is masculine supremacy or the desire to be a successful man at the expense of women. However, when manhood is seen as something that can only be achieved and defended through violent means, the vulnerability of women, who are in most cases regarded as the inferior and weak sex, becomes inevitable. This is one of the problems faced by Nigerian women. The experiences of my two mothers in their matrimonial home shared with my father provide a practical example of the violence Nigerian women face repeatedly. Since violence against women is often theologically motivated, it is important to address the norms that justify the abuse of women through a sound exegesis of a biblical text. This study therefore studied a text, John 7:53-8:11, which depicts violence being perpetrated against an unnamed woman in the name of a construction of manhood. In order to achieve this, this study adopted a multifaceted hermeneutical approach. In this multifaceted study, the initial focus was on understanding John 7:53-8:11 within the narrative of John through the use of narrative criticism (Chapter 2). The focus in Chapter 2 thus is on the text and the world in the text. In Chapter 3, the focus is on John and the world behind the text. It is argued that the narrative of John and the world in the text reflect the socio-cultural values of the first century GrecoRoman world, even though these two “worlds” are not identical. Chapter 3 provides an analysis in terms of how men at the time of the writing of the Gospel of John constructed their masculinity. In Chapter 4, the text is read from a feminist perspective to ascertain if it can indeed contribute to the empowerment of contemporary women. It thus focuses on the world in front of the text. It is the intention of this study to suggest an alternate way of constructing manhood. The study urges men to be redemptive, thereby taking swift steps to challenge women abuse, rather than instigating it. It is argued that one of the ways of achieving this is through Jesus Christ. Even though he was an ideal masculine figure, whose masculine attributes were divinely granted, he was also moulded by the androcentric culture of the time within which he was born and also grew up. Nevertheless, he chose to act contrary to the cultural values of his time. Occasionally, Jesus is seen in John’s Gospel as engaging with or participating in the patriarchal system of the society in which he was born. However, this did not change his attitude towards the women with whom he came into contact. He treated them as equal to men. This is a credible example that should be emulated by men of the twenty-first century, especially Nigerian men.