Images of Jesus among Christian Women in Harare

Introduction

Jesus Christ is the focus of the Christian faith. All who belong to this faith have their own images of this Christ determined by their existential circumstances. In Zimbabwe in general and Harare in particular, women form the majority of Christians (Chitando 2004, Togarasei 2004). This is despite the fact that most Christian denominations deny these women positions of influence. In view of this reality, this study seeks to find out what has attracted women to Christianity. In particular, it seeks to find out the existential circumstances and needs of the Harare Christian women that have led them to be attracted to Jesus. What are their images of Jesus Christ, and how do these fulfill their existential needs and aspirations? In apartheid South Africa and the black American movement, for example, Christ was seen as liberator. Who is Jesus Christ then for the Harare Christian women? To address these questions, the paper is divided into three sections. The first section provides a brief discussion of Christology in the New Testament. This is done to show that even the Christology of the New Testament communities was influenced by their existential needs. A second section, which gives a general overview of African Christology, follows this. The third section then focuses on the Christology of Harare women.

The paper is a result of several interviews carried out among Harare Christian women. There are too many Christian denominations with varying Christologies in Harare to study all of them. To capture views from a wide base, this study grouped Christian denominations mainly on the basis of their doctrine, into mainline churches, Pentecostal/Evangelical churches and African Independent/Initiated Churches (AICs). At least five churches in each group were studied. Between ten and fifteen women from different social and economic groups were interviewed. Churches in high, medium and low-income suburbs were studied. Apart from interviews, my two research assistants and I were participant observers in some of the meetings of the church women. The data collected from the field was then analysed in the light of the historical-critical approach to Biblical writings. This was out of the realisation that whatever images of Jesus the women have, the chief informant is the New Testament. Thus this paper begins by providing a background in New Testament Christology.

New Testament Christology: Definition Andgeneral Background

Christology, in the words of Oscar Cullmann (1963: 1), 'is that science whose object is Christ, his person and his work'. Christology, therefore, involves a reflection on the work and significance of Christ to humanity. It should then be borne in mind from the outset that it is Christians who formulate Christology. This explains why New Testament scholars have questioned whether Jesus understood himself as a divine being or thatthe divinity expressed in Christological titles was laid upon him by the believers after his death. In the New Testament it is possible to see that different Christian communities had different christologies. Several examples can be given. first, whereas the Lukan community emphasiseda universalistic Christology, the Matthean community on the otherhand emphasised a particularistic Christology. Second, in his letter to the Philippians, Paul presented Jesus as the pre-existent Christ who emptied himself and became a servant (Phil 2.5–10). Third, John presents the same Jesus as the divine Logos who was originally with God and was God himself who functioned at the creation (Jn 1.1). Attempts to find reasons for such differences have shown that each community understood Jesus from its own existential needs. Even throughout the New Testament, Jesus is given different Christological titles: Messiah/Christ, Son of Man, Sonof God, Lord/Prophet, Son of David, Saviour, Suffering Servant and many others. Each title suited a specific setting and the specific needs of each community. For example, it has been found that Paul preferred the title Son of God because, working among the Gentiles, he saw that it was an easily accepted title since the Gentiles' used it too. Although most of these titles had their own Jewish or Greek meanings, the early church gave them new [End...