BiAS 7 – The Bible and Politics in Africa
struggle to transform masculinities.^50 As far as this engagement is con-
cerned, NAOG meets the criterion of what Chitando calls “AIDS compe-
tent churches”. The church engages in a transformation of masculin-
ities, and the promoted ideal certainly makes a difference in view of the
HIV epidemic and other critical social problems. With regard to these
issues, the masculinity politics of the church can be considered as pro-
gressive and constructive, as it aims to change men and masculinities
for the better of men themselves but also for women, children, families,
communities and for society at large.
The concept of “biblical manhood” is also promoted in the church to
play gender politics, i.e. to effect the configuration of gender relations in
Zambian society today. These gender politics, however, are rather am-
biguous. The sermons frequently refer to the changes in gender rela-
tions that occur in society, for instance the increasing level of women’s
education and women’s formal employment. Indeed, in NAOG, being a
middle-class church, I found many women to be relatively highly edu-
cated and pursuing a professional career. Marital counsellors told me
that this raises problems in marriages: the wife may be higher educated
and may earn a larger income than the husband, and hence they some-
times begin to question and challenge the roles of the husband as the
head and leader of the home. In his preaching on “biblical manhood”,
Banda deals with these issues. On the one hand, he emphasizes the
equality of men and women. Hence he underlines the importance of
women’s education and employment and of women’s contribution to
the income of the home. On the other hand, however, he underlines the
“biblical order” that the man is the head of the home. Hence he strongly
denounces the ‘extreme feminist views’ that reject the “principle of male
headship” and thus oppose God’s order.^51 Two complete sermons are
devoted to balancing and reconciling the modern (but according to
Banda, biblical) notion of gender equality with the traditional (but ac-
cording to Banda, biblical) idea of male headship. As outlined above, he
does so by redefining headship from domination and superiority into
responsibility, leadership, and service. Furthermore, he insists on part-
nership, companionship and love in the marital relationship. Thus,
Banda reaffirms but softens the patriarchal notion of male headship
while at the same time allowing for a greater equality between men and
(^50) Cf. Chitando, Acting in Hope. African Churches and HIV/AIDS 2, 46-47.
(^51) Banda, Fatherhood in the 21st Century – part 6.