Spiritual challenges of widowhood symbolism in African religio-cultural setting: a Christian theological perspective

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Periodical article

Title:	Spiritual challenges of widowhood symbolism in African religio-cultural setting: a Christian theological perspective
Author:	Martey, Emmanuel
Year:	2005
Periodical:	Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies
Volume:	37
Issue:	1-2
Pages:	129-149
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Africa
Subjects:	widows African religions symbols Christian theology
Abstract:	Widowhood in the traditional African context is a religio-cultural symbol that can have profound spiritual implications for the widowed. This paper shows that, apart from this spiritual consciousness, other levels of reality that widowhood symbolism opens up include the awareness that African society is oppressive, impoverishing and violent towards widows. For instance, relatives of the deceased husbands commit atrocities against widows, and the widow herself may encounter destructive emotional problems such as fear and anger. African theologians need to investigate the kind of transformation that widowhood symbolism brings the African widow, and how such change affects her action. For instance, Liberation theology has no answer to satanic or demonic oppression, which may be present in African widowhood practices. Ref., sum. [ASC Leiden abstract]