Can African Women be Womanists?
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Keywords
African women’s theology, Womanist theology and ethics, African feminism, Black identity, Womanism, Nomenclature, Contextuality
Abstract
Alice Walker's definition of a womanist anchors itself in Black feminist identity, but what if different women experience the modifier "Black" in distinct ways? Using narrative theological and womanist religious methodology to center African feminist, African women's theological, and womanist religious voices, this article treats the modifier "Black" as an inflection point that identifies the theological categories and foci from and about which African-descended women speak. It encourages African and African American women to be attentive to why nomenclature and contextuality are important markers of the other’s theological and ethical viewpoint.
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Dr. Oluwatomisin Olayinka Oredein, Brite Divinity School
Oluwatomisin Olayinka Oredein is the Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Theological Imagination, and an Associate Professor in Black Religious Traditions and Constructive Theology and Ethics at Brite Divinity School.