Reconceiving Reproductive Health : : Theological and Christian ethical reflections / / Manitza Kotzé, [and many others].

• Superior document: Reformed theology in Africa series
• VerfasserIn: Kotzé, Manitza,
• Place / Publishing House: Durbanville, South Africa : : AOSIS,, 2019.
• Year of Publication: 2019
• Language: English
• Series: Reformed theology in Africa series.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (328 pages).

While reproduction is fairly often touched upon in theological and Christian ethical discussions, reproductive health is not. However, reproductive health is a matter of theological and ethical concern. Discussion pertaining to reproductive health includes a number of debates about, for instance, abortion and the termination of pregnancy, reproductive loss, childlessness, infertility, stillbirth, miscarriage and adoption. Additionally, new reproductive possibilities made available by the development of reproductive technology have necessitated theological and ethical reflection on, for example, surrogacy, post-menopausal pregnancies, litter births, single mothers or fathers by choice, in vitro fertilisation and the so-called saviour siblings. These new developments compel us to reconceive our notions of what reproductive health is or should be. Many of these topics are receiving increasing attention in a variety of theological publications. The focus of this volume is unique, however, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first volume dealing not only with reproductive issues, but also reflecting theologically and ethically on reproductive health. It makes a contribution by providing a variety of perspectives from different theological fields on this theme, and in many chapters, focussing especially on the South African context. These discussions are also part of urgent debates within churches, which require developing life-giving theological language and imaginative theological alternatives that may speak to experiences of matters relating to reproductive health. The popular books, TV series and films that touch upon these discussions ⁰́₃ including The Handmaid⁰́₉s Tale and Mother! ⁰́₃ strengthen the perception that a more in-depth theological and ethical discussion on the theme may be necessary, particularly towards exploring stories and confessions from our faith tradition that may provide us with a timely opportunity to do the important work of theological 'reconceiving'.

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations, Figures and Tables in the -- Text and Notes xiii -- List of Abbreviations xiii -- List of Figures xiv -- List of Tables xiv -- Notes on Contributors xv -- Preface xxi -- Chapter 1: Reconceiving reproductive health: An introduction 1 -- Introduction 1 -- Part One: Systematic theological reflections -- Chapter 2: 'Bearing fruit'? Doing theology from God's Womb 13 -- Introduction 13 -- 'Life begotten'? Creation from God's Womb 16 -- 'Delivering grace'? Salvation by God's Womb 18 -- 'Born again'? Consummation in God's Womb 22 -- Trinitarian Theology 'bearing fruit'? 25 -- Conclusion 27 -- Chapter 3: Reproductive health, deconstructed: -- A nonbinary understanding of the womb 29 -- Introduction: The question that should not be asked 29 -- The question that should be asked 31 -- Women and nature 32 -- Strategies to curb environmental degradation and the role of women 34 -- Women and population 38 -- The field of population policies: A concern over the -- environment and sustained population growth 39 -- Politics and 'pronatalism' 42 -- Defying the 'pronatalist norm': Being 'childless' or a 'non-parent' 46 -- Going forward: Guiding principles and ethical considerations 48 -- Chapter 4: Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel's theology of tenderness: Implications for reconceiving reproductive health 51 -- Introduction 51 -- The theology of Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel: A brief summary 54 -- Jesus and his life of tenderness 57 -- Theology of tenderness: Implications for reconceiving reproductive health 60 -- Conclusion 66 -- Chapter 5: Intersecting reproductive health: -- Theological and ethical reflections? 67 -- Introduction 67 -- Reproductive rights and health? 68 -- Indecent Theology: Towards a theological method for sexual and reproductive health rights? 72 -- Reconceiving choice towards justice? 75 -- Conclusion 80 -- Chapter 6: Mothering as sacred duty and metaphor: The theology of Mercy Oduyoye 81 -- Introduction 81 -- The distinction between motherhood and mothering 82 -- Oduyoye as mother 83 -- Mothering as metaphor 85 -- Anowa as mother 87 -- Mothering and a doctrine of creation 88 -- Oduyoye's concept of mothering, creation and reproductive loss 91 -- Conclusion 93 -- Part Two: Biblical reflections -- Chapter 7: Reproduction and the responsibility of royal -- representation: A reading of Genesis 1:26-28 97 -- Introduction 97 -- Translation of Genesis 1:26-28 103 -- Interpretive comments on Genesis 1:26-28 104 -- Conclusion 124 -- Chapter 8: Pauline uterine discourse in context 125 -- Introduction 125 -- The womb in antiquity 126 -- The womb in the Bible 130 -- The womb in the Pauline letters 133 -- Kοιλία [womb, belly, stomach]; γαστήρ [womb, belly]; μήτρα [womb] 133 -- The mothering Paul 135 -- Unproductive and misbehaving wombs: Paulus abortivus 136 -- Discursive uterine strategies in Paul 138 -- Conclusion 143 -- Chapter 9: An attempt to liberate the womb from divine overburdening - In conversation with Mary and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-45) 145 -- Introduction 145 -- Divine conception 149 -- Luke 1:35 152 -- Reducing 'being' to 'wombing' 156 -- The imperfection of the womb 161 -- Conclusion 166 -- Part Three: Ethical reflections -- Chapter 10: Whose womb is it anyway? 169 -- Introduction 169 -- Artificial womb, what it means and how it works 171 -- The pregnant female body and what it means 172 -- The contributions and concerns of an artificial womb 175 -- Reproductive life, ethics and the technological implications 177 -- Power, men and the female voice 182 -- Conclusion 184 -- Chapter 11: Revisiting traditional male initiation in South Africa: A global bioethical perspective on reproductive health and culture practices 187 -- Introduction: The cultural tradition 187 -- Global perspective 192 -- Status of culture diversity 192 -- The ordering of culture 195 -- Conclusion 199 -- Chapter 12: Reflections on the Malawian church's role in maternal health 201 -- Mwawi N. Chilongozi & Nadine Bowers du Toit -- Introduction 201 -- Maternal health 202 -- The global initiatives on maternal health 204 -- Factors that lead to maternal deaths and disabilities 205 -- Maternal health as a gender and development issue 208 -- Mercy Oduyoye's theological perspectives on maternal health 209 -- The role of faith-based organisations in maternal health 211 -- The church's role in promoting maternal health 212 -- The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Synod of Livingstonia 213 -- The health department 214 -- Health Department's Safe Motherhood and Maternal Health Programme 215 -- Conclusion 217 -- Acknowledgements 218 -- Chapter 13: A long walk to reproductive freedom: Reconceiving theologies of abortion in South Africa 219 -- Introduction 219 -- Understanding abortion 220 -- The rise of a reproductive justice framework 222 -- Abortion in South Africa 224 -- A call for a new theology of abortion 227 -- Reconceiving abortion theology through a liberational lens 232 -- Deconstructing procreation, wombs and motherhood 237 -- Towards a reconceived theology of abortion in South Africa 239 -- Conclusion 243 -- Chapter 14: Whose reproductive health matters? A Christian ethical reflection on reproductive technology and exclusion 247 -- Introduction 248 -- Inequality of access to reproductive technology at present 249 -- Inequality of access to reproductive technology in the future? 254 -- How the excluded become part of this system at present 255 -- Other ethical issues 260 -- Pressure on women to donate 261 -- How the excluded become part of this system in the future 262 -- Conclusion 263 -- References 265 -- Index 297.