Gender

The discourse on gender within African Christianity spans three decades, including the responses of African churches to the Ecumenical Decade of the Churches in Solidarity with Women (1988-98) and the research of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. Initial discussions on gender equality in church leadership and theological education evolved to address issues of human sexuality due to the prevalence of heterosexual transmission of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The diverse positions of African churches on homosexuality range from condemnation to acceptance, and this chapter identifies three main theological approaches: puritan moralist, moderate pastoral mediationist, and prophetic.