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Warrior Girls: violence against women and gender-based activism in a Pentecostal-Charismatic church in Stellenbosch

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.

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Main Author: Marx, Danya
Other Authors: Van Wyk, Ilana
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2021
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access_status_str Open Access
author Marx, Danya
author2 Van Wyk, Ilana
author_browse Marx, Danya
Van Wyk, Ilana
author_facet Van Wyk, Ilana
Marx, Danya
author_sort Marx, Danya
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/110098
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:43:43.080Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
publishDateSort 2021
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/110098 Warrior Girls: violence against women and gender-based activism in a Pentecostal-Charismatic church in Stellenbosch Marx, Danya Van Wyk, Ilana Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. Gender-based violence Violence against women (VAW) Women -- Violence against Women's rights Pentecostal churches -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Hillsong church -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch War against Rape (Organization) Gender identity Feminism UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Levels of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa are unacceptably high, and manifest in a social context marked by patriarchal forms of power, authority, family organisation, and religion (Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2016: 8). Gender-justice movements, particularly in response to violence against women (VAW), have become increasingly vocal both nationally and globally. In a country where a large majority of South Africans identify as Christian, a faith that is often described as patriarchal (Robbins, 2004: 132-133), some churches have joined these movements. This study looks at how a South African Pentecostal-Charismatic church, Hillsong Stellenbosch, alongside other local branches of the church, reacted to the issue through its women-centred development and VAW-justice programmes. These programmes were Hillsong’s Sisterhood women’s ministry, their Shine Women women’s development course, and the WAR (War Against Rape) campaign. I used participant observation to explore and gain insight into how these Hillsongers understood gender-based activism through a faith that is viewed as restrictively patriarchal. Activism at Hillsong was overtly spiritual, a fact that shaped the church’s perceptions of what women’s empowerment and VAW activism looked like. Hillsongers believed that God could change the world, but that they also had a role to play in the process. Towards this end, Hillsongers focussed on strengthening Christians in order to partake in spiritual “warfare” through transforming themselves. This transformation was often gendered, with the church’s programmes highlighting specific ideals regarding the role of women, as well as men, in the Christian mission of healing the world and ultimately bringing God’s Kingdom down to Earth. The ways in which these Hillsongers used words and physical space to “confess” prosperity and dominion also played an important role in the creation of this new world. Through this phenomenological study, I aim to provide secular activists with a deeper understanding of Pentecostal-Charismatics’ gender-related activism in the hope of expanding the conversation about VAW activism between both religious and non-religious groups. In this way, I hope to further extend the space in which both forms of activism can exist as different ways in which differently-situated women react to VAW. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vlakke van geslagsgebaseerde geweld (GGG) in Suid-Afrika is onaanvaarbaar hoog en manifesteer in 'n sosiale konteks wat gekenmerk word deur patriargale vorme van mag, gesag, familie-organisasie en godsdiens (Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2016: 8). Bewegings wat hul beywer vir geslagsgeregtigheid, veral in reaksie op geweld teen vroue (GTV) het toenemend hul stem dik gemaak, nasionaal en wêreldwyd. In 'n land waar 'n groot meerderheid Suid-Afrikaners hulself as Christene identifiseer, 'n geloof wat dikwels as patriargaal beskryf word (Robbins, 2004: 132-133), het sommige kerke by hierdie bewegings aangesluit. In hierdie studie word gekyk hoe 'n Suid-Afrikaanse Pinkster-Charismatiese kerk, Hillsong Church Stellenbosch, saam met ander plaaslike takke van die kerk op die kwessie gereageer het deur vrouegesentreerde ontwikkelings- en (GTV) geregtigheidsprogramme. Hierdie programme was Hillsong se Sisterhood-vrouebediening, hul ShineWomen-ontwikkelingskursus vir vroue, en die WAR (War Against Rape)-veldtog. Ek het 'n mengsel van onderhoude gebruik en ook deelnemers waargeneem om te ondersoek en insig te kry in hoe hierdie Hillsong-lede geslagsgebaseerde aktivisme verstaan deur 'n geloof wat as beperkend patriargaal beskou word. Aktivisme by Hillsong was openlik spiritueel, ’n feit wat die kerk se persepsies oor hoe vrouebemagtiging en GTV-aktivisme lyk, gevorm het. Hillsongers het geglo dat God die wêreld kon verander, maar dat hulle ook 'n rol in die proses moes speel. Met dié doel het Hillsongers hulle daarop toegespits om Christene te versterk om aan geestelike 'oorlogvoering' deel te neem deur hulself te transformeer. Hierdie transformasie is dikwels geslagsgetrou. Die kerk se programme het spesifieke ideale oor die rol van vroue sowel as mans beklemtoon in die Christelike missie om die wêreld te genees en uiteindelik God se Koninkryk na die aarde te bring. Die maniere waarop hierdie Hillsongers woorde en fisiese ruimte gebruik het om welvaart en heerskappy te "bely", het ook 'n belangrike rol gespeel om hierdie nuwe wêreld te skep. Deur hierdie fenomenologiese studie beoog ek om sekulêre aktiviste 'n dieper begrip te gee van Pinkster- Charismate se geslagsverwante aktivisme in die hoop om die gesprek oor GTV-aktivisme tussen godsdienstige en nie-godsdienstige groepe uit te brei. Op hierdie manier hoop ek om die ruimte verder te vergroot waarin albei vorms van aktivisme kan bestaan – as verskillende maniere waarop vroue in verskillende situasies op GTV reageer. Masters 2021-03-05T14:19:28Z 2021-04-21T14:40:17Z 2021-03-05T14:19:28Z 2021-04-21T14:40:17Z 2021-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110098 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 80 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Gender-based violence
Violence against women (VAW)
Women -- Violence against
Women's rights
Pentecostal churches -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch
Hillsong church -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch
War against Rape (Organization)
Gender identity
Feminism
UCTD
Marx, Danya
Warrior Girls: violence against women and gender-based activism in a Pentecostal-Charismatic church in Stellenbosch
title Warrior Girls: violence against women and gender-based activism in a Pentecostal-Charismatic church in Stellenbosch
title_full Warrior Girls: violence against women and gender-based activism in a Pentecostal-Charismatic church in Stellenbosch
title_fullStr Warrior Girls: violence against women and gender-based activism in a Pentecostal-Charismatic church in Stellenbosch
title_full_unstemmed Warrior Girls: violence against women and gender-based activism in a Pentecostal-Charismatic church in Stellenbosch
title_short Warrior Girls: violence against women and gender-based activism in a Pentecostal-Charismatic church in Stellenbosch
title_sort warrior girls violence against women and gender based activism in a pentecostal charismatic church in stellenbosch
topic Gender-based violence
Violence against women (VAW)
Women -- Violence against
Women's rights
Pentecostal churches -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch
Hillsong church -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch
War against Rape (Organization)
Gender identity
Feminism
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110098
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