Just relationships between women and men, girls and boys are fundamental to human flourishing – the abundant life that God wills for all God’s children.
However, in our churches and communities around the world we are falling short of this Gospel imperative. Gendered attitudes, assumptions, stereotypes and expectations can shape negative behaviours and impose burdens on all of us, especially when it comes to power - who has power and how power is used.
Church leaders, preachers and other ministers can promote Jesus-shaped life, expounding biblical texts that are redemptive for women and men, and Christian values and beliefs that promote safety, autonomy and respect. The training, formation and equipping of church leaders and ministers in this area are therefore essential as they prepare to show and tell the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Sacrament and Word and in the lives they live.
Learning objectives of the study:
understand and value God-given human equality and dignity
articulate some scriptural and theological foundation for just power relationships between women and men, girls and boys, in the Anglican Communion and beyond
understand just gender relationships as integral to Christian discipleship and Jesus-shaped life
select biblical texts on themes relevant to the topic and to the contextual concerns of the participants’ communities, and explore and interpret them critically using the techniques of ‘Contextual Bible Study’, and respecting God-given equality and dignity for women and men
identify the Gospels’ teaching of redemption and equality for women and men, and interpret them theologically and pastorally with others
recognise how cultures imbued with patriarchal values have led to misunderstanding and misapplication of biblical principles, leading to the devaluation of women and girls and the ‘divine’ legitimisation of such devaluation
understand some of the causes of gender-based violence, abuse and exploitation, why they are morally wrong, and seek ways of ending and preventing them
understand that the active participation of victims/survivors of gender-based violence, abuse and exploitation is essential, since their lived experience informs theological work in this area
Just relationships study guide
64pg PDF
This link is provided from the Anglican Communion website.
Their credit for the guide is as follows: IAWN's steering group with Terrie Robinson, Director for Women in Church & Society at the Anglican Communion Office, convened an exceptional group of Anglican theologians from New Zealand, Philippines, USA, India, Kenya, UK, Brazil and South Africa who have developed study materials for a course on ‘God’s Justice: Just Relationships between Women and Men, Girls and Boys’. The working group met at the St Julian's Centre in Limuru, Kenya, to complete the work which had been started via on-line conferencing and email correspondence.