GENDER, ECCLESIAL AUTHORITY, AND PUBLIC SPACE: RECONSTRUCTING WOMEN'S AGENCY IN AFRICAN CHRISTIANITY

Abstract Women’s agency in African Christianity exists at the intersection of gender, ecclesial authority, and public life. African churches, historically central to social, moral, and community formation, often restrict women’s leadership through patriarchal interpretations of scripture and culture, despite women’s numerical strength and indispensable contributions in evangelism, prayer, education, and social welfare. This study reconstructs women’s agency by engaging biblical theology, African cultural realities, and contemporary gender discourse. It argues that women’s marginalization is not a biblical or cultural inevitability but the result of socio-historical power arrangements. Drawing on African women theologians and contextual hermeneutics, the study demonstrates that early Christian communities and many African indigenous systems recognized complementary forms of authority, including women’s spiritual and social leadership. Reclaiming these resources allows for a theological reimagining of church authority that affirms justice, dignity, and shared mission. Expanding women’s participation in ecclesial leadership has broader societal implications, enhancing peacebuilding, development, and ethical governance. Reconstructing women’s agency is therefore both a theological and societal imperative, positioning African Christianity for inclusive witness and transformative engagement in the twenty-first century.