Abstract

KONDEMO, Marthe M.. What now of the Vashti character in the Hebrew Bible? Ruminating on the future of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians among emerging scholars in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Verbum Eccles. (Online) [online]. 2016, vol.37, n.2, pp.1-7. ISSN 2074-7705.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ve.v37i2.1588.

Concerned about the relative absence of activities (including the writings) by members of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians within the Democratic Republic of the Congo Circle, Francophone context in general and her Mongolese context in particular, the author uses the marginalised character of Vashti in the Hebrew Bible to see which light the character might shed within the preceding contexts. Can Vashti's identity in terms of boldness, courage and independence serve as a model for Congolese women in their efforts to make a positive impact on their contexts which remain glaringly patriarchal even today after many years of political independence? In this article, it is argued that the character of Vashti, especially her sense of independence and courage, can serve as a motivation for Congolese female theologians in their search for new identities. INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS: In this article, the disciplines of African studies, political science, gender studies and biblical studies are made to interact with each other in the author's quest to see how a biblical character such as Vashti can contribute positively to the theory and praxis of theology among emerging Francophone female scholars.

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