Social Motherhood and Masculinization of the Church in Bernadette Mbuy-Beya’s Ethics and Philosophical Anthropology

Bernadette Mbuy-Beya maintains that African women’s ethics are contextual, based not only on knowledge but on feeling, not only on science but also on wisdom. It is an ethic conceived not only in the head but also in the heart, the body, and the belly. She laments the marginalization of women and advocates, in both her writings and through praxis, for a concept of social motherhood that affirms women’s agency and inner freedom. She proposes that the African continent cannot receive the hope of Jesus Christ without the complete liberation of women both in society and the church, nor will the hope of Christ be realized without addressing “the masculinization of the Church.” This liberation is done through social motherhood that goes beyond biological fecundity to include how women’s positive power gives life, nurtures growth, and transforms the factors that kill life on the continent. This chapter will critically assess Mbuy-Beya’s ethical and philosophical anthropology regarding women and how it challenges the Circle moving forward.