The images of God in religious discourses on race, gender and sexuality in contemporary Africa: A theology of Ubuntu

The depictions of the mental images of God in religious discourses on race, gender and sexuality are global phenomena, which are often marked by controversy. In Africa, Christianity has, since its inception, presented a particular narrative about God’s image that bolsters exclusivist perceptions def...

Celý popis

Uložené v:
Podrobná bibliografia
Vydané v:Verbum et ecclesia Ročník 46; číslo 1; s. e1 - e9
Hlavný autor: Shingange, Themba
Médium: Journal Article
Jazyk:English
Vydavateľské údaje: African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS 31.10.2025
AOSIS
Predmet:
Analysis
black
Christianity
decolonial
freeing
gender
lgbtq
Philosophy
race
Religious aspects
Sex (Psychology)
sexuality
the image of god
ubuntu
women
New York
South Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
ISSN:1609-9982, 2074-7705
On-line prístup:Získať plný text
Tagy: Pridať tag
Žiadne tagy, Buďte prvý, kto otaguje tento záznam!
Abstract The depictions of the mental images of God in religious discourses on race, gender and sexuality are global phenomena, which are often marked by controversy. In Africa, Christianity has, since its inception, presented a particular narrative about God’s image that bolsters exclusivist perceptions defining who has and who has no place in the household of God. Thus, these narratives inadvertently contributed to the creation of unsafe spaces for certain categories of people in society because of their race, gender and sexuality. This article looks at the historical presentation of God’s image by the 19th-century missionaries in Africa. Conversely, it analyses how such a presentation contradicted the African images of a Supreme Being and how it further contributed to the creation and perpetuation of unsafe spaces for black people, women, and LGBTQ+ people in contemporary African church and society. Then, it discusses how the African concepts of race, gender and sexuality challenge the norm and call for a transformed presentation of the images of God that resonates with the theology of Ubuntu, the divine revelation, and their manifestations in the images of God that are freeing. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The study has interdisciplinary implications as it engages theology and missiology with the intersectionality and interdisciplinary discourses of race, gender, sexuality studies and the African philosophy of Ubuntu. This is critical in ensuring the prophetic voice of Christianity, which does not shy away from addressing contemporary societal issues.
AbstractList The depictions of the mental images of God in religious discourses on race, gender and sexuality are global phenomena, which are often marked by controversy. In Africa, Christianity has, since its inception, presented a particular narrative about God’s image that bolsters exclusivist perceptions defining who has and who has no place in the household of God. Thus, these narratives inadvertently contributed to the creation of unsafe spaces for certain categories of people in society because of their race, gender and sexuality. This article looks at the historical presentation of God’s image by the 19th-century missionaries in Africa. Conversely, it analyses how such a presentation contradicted the African images of a Supreme Being and how it further contributed to the creation and perpetuation of unsafe spaces for black people, women, and LGBTQ+ people in contemporary African church and society. Then, it discusses how the African concepts of race, gender and sexuality challenge the norm and call for a transformed presentation of the images of God that resonates with the theology of Ubuntu, the divine revelation, and their manifestations in the images of God that are freeing. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The study has interdisciplinary implications as it engages theology and missiology with the intersectionality and interdisciplinary discourses of race, gender, sexuality studies and the African philosophy of Ubuntu. This is critical in ensuring the prophetic voice of Christianity, which does not shy away from addressing contemporary societal issues.
The depictions of the mental images of God in religious discourses on race, gender and sexuality are global phenomena, which are often marked by controversy. In Africa, Christianity has, since its inception, presented a particular narrative about God's image that bolsters exclusivist perceptions defining who has and who has no place in the household of God. Thus, these narratives inadvertently contributed to the creation of unsafe spaces for certain categories of people in society because of their race, gender and sexuality. This article looks at the historical presentation of God's image by the 19th-century missionaries in Africa. Conversely, it analyses how such a presentation contradicted the African images of a Supreme Being and how it further contributed to the creation and perpetuation of unsafe spaces for black people, women, and LGBTQ+ people in contemporary African church and society. Then, it discusses how the African concepts of race, gender and sexuality challenge the norm and call for a transformed presentation of the images of God that resonates with the theology of Ubuntu, the divine revelation, and their manifestations in the images of God that are freeing. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications The study has interdisciplinary implications as it engages theology and missiology with the intersectionality and interdisciplinary discourses of race, gender, sexuality studies and the African philosophy of Ubuntu. This is critical in ensuring the prophetic voice of Christianity, which does not shy away from addressing contemporary societal issues.
Audience Academic
Author Shingange, Themba
Author_xml – sequence: 1
  givenname: Themba
  orcidid: 0000-0001-5744-4268
  surname: Shingange
  fullname: Shingange, Themba
BookMark eNo9UU1P3DAQtRBILNBj7_4BZOuPOLG5rdAWkJB6Aa7RxB4Ho2yM7KTq_vs6bFXNYaQ3857ezLsi51OckJDvnG1rzsSPt_32d90EvpWKqzOyEaytq7Zl6pxseMNMZYwWl-Qq5w_GpDKCbcj88o40HGDATKOnD9HRMNGEYxhCXDJ1Idu4pLyOCw4Wb-mAk8NEYXI0458FxjAfV5aN04yHz5ggHenOp2Dhju7o_I5xjMNx1X_tl2lebsiFhzHjt3_9mrz-3L_cP1bPvx6e7nfPleVaqGp1qLFtLfOIoGvWy1pZ0fbKgpMoegXc8d4qhFZzqzmaXppaOePKBEBek6eTrovw0X2mcmc6dhFC9wXENHSQ5mBH7KxiTnrV-BZkLYU1EqyxNdS6N41jumhtT1oDlPUw-TiXb5RyeAjlcvSh4DvdCCEZa0QhVCeCTTHnhP6_Ac66Na_ubd995dWtecm_GKCLXQ
Cites_doi 10.1177/03091325231166402
10.1080/21674736.2023.2228073
10.4102/hts.v74i1.4896
10.2307/j.ctv2z6qdpk.6
10.2307/jj.18473015
10.5325/jasiapacipopcult.5.2.0171
10.1515/9780857459527
10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197608494.013.18
10.1177/0263276409349275
10.17159/2312-3621/2023/v36n3a5
10.17570/stj.2016.v2n1.a14
10.4324/9780429466953
10.4102/ve.v44i1.2746
10.17570/stj.2021.v7n1.a14
10.1017/S0001972012000526
10.4102/hts.v80i2.9034
10.1037/vio0000419
10.1093/monist/onab007
10.4102/ve.v36i1.1389
10.1093/oso/9780197619995.001.0001
10.2307/j.ctv264f95m.28
10.1111/jssr.12781
10.1037/pspi0000233
10.2307/j.ctv2z6qdpk.10
10.25159/2412-4265/10292
10.1177/17456916221144988
10.4324/9781003446835-12
10.4324/9780429027239-12
10.7833/86-0-946
10.1177/1363460720914597
10.1007/978-3-031-49167-2_38
10.5325/jafrireli.12.1.0086
ContentType Journal Article
Copyright COPYRIGHT 2025 African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS
Copyright_xml – notice: COPYRIGHT 2025 African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS
DBID AAYXX
CITATION
DOA
DOI 10.4102/VE.v46i1.3515
DatabaseName CrossRef
DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals
DatabaseTitle CrossRef
DatabaseTitleList

CrossRef
Database_xml – sequence: 1
  dbid: DOA
  name: DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals
  url: https://www.doaj.org/
  sourceTypes: Open Website
DeliveryMethod fulltext_linktorsrc
Discipline Religion
Philosophy
EISSN 2074-7705
EndPage e9
ExternalDocumentID oai_doaj_org_article_c50d3f56f7a3432c93ac9c4a48b96d08
A862230062
10_4102_VE_v46i1_3515
GeographicLocations New York
South Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
GeographicLocations_xml – name: South Africa
– name: New York
– name: Sub-Saharan Africa
GroupedDBID 1RH
AAFWJ
AAYXX
ABDBF
ABUWG
ADBBV
AFKRA
ALMA_UNASSIGNED_HOLDINGS
APOWU
AZFZN
AZQEC
BCNDV
BENPR
BPHCQ
CCPQU
CITATION
CWDGH
DWQXO
EBS
EJD
ESX
GNUQQ
GROUPED_DOAJ
IAO
IRE
ITC
KQ8
KWQ
M2N
OK1
PHGZM
PHGZT
PIMPY
PQQKQ
PROAC
PV9
RFP
RNS
RZL
SCD
TR2
X4Q
ID FETCH-LOGICAL-c1825-59208e77c0feea840b345c27b5cad3e2b5a1d1bc5ea781c81e9b3945d9d5a1aa3
IEDL.DBID DOA
ISSN 1609-9982
IngestDate Mon Nov 10 19:21:49 EST 2025
Tue Nov 11 03:51:24 EST 2025
Wed Nov 05 20:49:50 EST 2025
IsDoiOpenAccess false
IsOpenAccess true
IsPeerReviewed true
IsScholarly true
Issue 1
Language English
LinkModel DirectLink
MergedId FETCHMERGED-LOGICAL-c1825-59208e77c0feea840b345c27b5cad3e2b5a1d1bc5ea781c81e9b3945d9d5a1aa3
ORCID 0000-0001-5744-4268
OpenAccessLink https://doaj.org/article/c50d3f56f7a3432c93ac9c4a48b96d08
ParticipantIDs doaj_primary_oai_doaj_org_article_c50d3f56f7a3432c93ac9c4a48b96d08
gale_infotracacademiconefile_A862230062
crossref_primary_10_4102_VE_v46i1_3515
PublicationCentury 2000
PublicationDate 2025-10-31
PublicationDateYYYYMMDD 2025-10-31
PublicationDate_xml – month: 10
  year: 2025
  text: 2025-10-31
  day: 31
PublicationDecade 2020
PublicationTitle Verbum et ecclesia
PublicationYear 2025
Publisher African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS
AOSIS
Publisher_xml – name: African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS
– name: AOSIS
References ref13
ref12
ref15
ref14
ref11
ref10
ref17
ref16
ref19
ref18
ref46
ref45
ref48
ref47
ref42
ref41
ref44
ref43
ref8
ref7
ref9
ref4
ref3
ref6
ref5
ref40
ref35
ref34
ref37
ref36
ref31
ref30
ref33
ref32
ref0
ref2
ref1
ref39
ref38
ref24
ref23
ref26
ref25
ref20
ref22
ref21
ref28
ref27
ref29
References_xml – ident: ref1
– ident: ref22
  doi: 10.1177/03091325231166402
– ident: ref43
  doi: 10.1080/21674736.2023.2228073
– ident: ref5
– ident: ref24
– ident: ref11
  doi: 10.4102/hts.v74i1.4896
– ident: ref29
  doi: 10.2307/j.ctv2z6qdpk.6
– ident: ref25
  doi: 10.2307/jj.18473015
– ident: ref46
  doi: 10.5325/jasiapacipopcult.5.2.0171
– ident: ref17
– ident: ref30
– ident: ref6
– ident: ref27
  doi: 10.1515/9780857459527
– ident: ref0
  doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197608494.013.18
– ident: ref12
– ident: ref20
  doi: 10.1177/0263276409349275
– ident: ref33
– ident: ref3
  doi: 10.17159/2312-3621/2023/v36n3a5
– ident: ref7
– ident: ref23
  doi: 10.17570/stj.2016.v2n1.a14
– ident: ref41
  doi: 10.4324/9780429466953
– ident: ref15
  doi: 10.4102/ve.v44i1.2746
– ident: ref14
  doi: 10.17570/stj.2021.v7n1.a14
– ident: ref45
– ident: ref26
  doi: 10.1017/S0001972012000526
– ident: ref28
  doi: 10.4102/hts.v80i2.9034
– ident: ref34
  doi: 10.1037/vio0000419
– ident: ref18
  doi: 10.1093/monist/onab007
– ident: ref2
  doi: 10.4102/ve.v36i1.1389
– ident: ref47
  doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197619995.001.0001
– ident: ref19
– ident: ref32
– ident: ref4
– ident: ref38
– ident: ref48
  doi: 10.2307/j.ctv264f95m.28
– ident: ref40
  doi: 10.1111/jssr.12781
– ident: ref37
  doi: 10.1037/pspi0000233
– ident: ref16
  doi: 10.2307/j.ctv2z6qdpk.10
– ident: ref9
  doi: 10.25159/2412-4265/10292
– ident: ref39
  doi: 10.1177/17456916221144988
– ident: ref42
  doi: 10.4324/9781003446835-12
– ident: ref8
– ident: ref21
  doi: 10.4324/9780429027239-12
– ident: ref44
  doi: 10.7833/86-0-946
– ident: ref36
  doi: 10.1177/1363460720914597
– ident: ref13
  doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-49167-2_38
– ident: ref10
– ident: ref35
– ident: ref31
  doi: 10.5325/jafrireli.12.1.0086
SSID ssj0035920
ssib016081569
Score 2.3148413
Snippet The depictions of the mental images of God in religious discourses on race, gender and sexuality are global phenomena, which are often marked by controversy....
SourceID doaj
gale
crossref
SourceType Open Website
Aggregation Database
Index Database
StartPage e1
SubjectTerms Analysis
black
Christianity
decolonial
freeing
gender
lgbtq
Philosophy
race
Religious aspects
Sex (Psychology)
sexuality
the image of god
ubuntu
women
Title The images of God in religious discourses on race, gender and sexuality in contemporary Africa: A theology of Ubuntu
URI https://doaj.org/article/c50d3f56f7a3432c93ac9c4a48b96d08
Volume 46
hasFullText 1
inHoldings 1
isFullTextHit
isPrint
journalDatabaseRights – providerCode: PRVAON
  databaseName: DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 2074-7705
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0035920
  issn: 1609-9982
  databaseCode: DOA
  dateStart: 19800101
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: https://www.doaj.org/
  providerName: Directory of Open Access Journals
– providerCode: PRVPQU
  databaseName: Middle East & Africa Database
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 2074-7705
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0035920
  issn: 1609-9982
  databaseCode: CWDGH
  dateStart: 20120101
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: https://search.proquest.com/middleeastafrica
  providerName: ProQuest
– providerCode: PRVPQU
  databaseName: ProQuest Central
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 2074-7705
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0035920
  issn: 1609-9982
  databaseCode: BENPR
  dateStart: 20120101
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: https://www.proquest.com/central
  providerName: ProQuest
– providerCode: PRVPQU
  databaseName: ProQuest Publicly Available Content Database
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 2074-7705
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0035920
  issn: 1609-9982
  databaseCode: PIMPY
  dateStart: 20120101
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: http://search.proquest.com/publiccontent
  providerName: ProQuest
– providerCode: PRVPQU
  databaseName: Religion Database
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 2074-7705
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0035920
  issn: 1609-9982
  databaseCode: M2N
  dateStart: 20120101
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: https://search.proquest.com/religion
  providerName: ProQuest
link http://cvtisr.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwrV07T-QwELYQhxANuuMh9njIBYKGQBLbSUy3nOBAgtUWLILKcsYO2oLNaV-_nxkni9LRXGs7r28cj79k5hvGTp1yniqHRFBBHElRQlQ4jVSlooh35EQupI-9POaDQfH6qoedUl8UE9bIAzfAXYGKnahUVuWWciBBCwsapJVFqTPXpPnirqdDpnAmJVlMKih6tSYLpYNAI7brCAlG2qhtSvSuV0t_uZTZOLkUimrjdrxTEPFvl-qO07n7ybbb3SLvN3f5i63ZaodtrsKId9kcrczHH7gmzHhd8b-14-MJnzb9ixmnnNs6hGnwGtst-Av-HorHcTtxfBb0lnEfTkdBR6eKN-WDrnmfU6YjfXmn84_KBbqoPTa6u33-cx-1dRQiQPagInr4wuc5xJX3FhldKaSCNC8VWCd8WiqbuKQE5W1eJFAkXpdCS-W0wx5rxT5bn9QTf8C4lrEAjXh7KWSa57rIwr85HI-LvoceO1vhZ_41chkGaQYBbV5uTQDaENA9dkPofg0ilevQgLY3re3Nd7bvsXOyjaF3cY4Y2jalAO-VVK1MH-kaUqw4S3__j8sdsq2Uqv8Gz3XE1ufThT9mG7Ccj2fTkzABT9iP4cPT8O0TBEHePw
linkProvider Directory of Open Access Journals
openUrl ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fsummon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=The+images+of+God+in+religious+discourses+on+race%2C+gender+and+sexuality+in+contemporary+Africa%3A+A+theology+of+Ubuntu&rft.jtitle=Verbum+et+ecclesia&rft.au=Themba+Shingange&rft.date=2025-10-31&rft.pub=AOSIS&rft.issn=1609-9982&rft.eissn=2074-7705&rft.volume=46&rft.issue=1&rft.spage=e1&rft.epage=e9&rft_id=info:doi/10.4102%2Fve.v46i1.3515&rft.externalDBID=DOA&rft.externalDocID=oai_doaj_org_article_c50d3f56f7a3432c93ac9c4a48b96d08
thumbnail_l http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/lc.gif&issn=1609-9982&client=summon
thumbnail_m http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/mc.gif&issn=1609-9982&client=summon
thumbnail_s http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/sc.gif&issn=1609-9982&client=summon