Biblical Deborah and Mary Mitchell Slessor – A Comparison in Time and Space

Ubong E Eyo

doi:10.26858/pdr.v4i1.14791

Abstract

This paper investigates “Biblical Deborah and Mary Mitchell Slessor – A Comparison in Time and Space and Lessons for Contemporary Africa.” Worthy of note is the fact that, for some of the religions of the world women are a problem; from time immemorial they have been subordinate to men, second-class in the family, politics and business, with limited rights and even limited participation in worship. This was not different from the epochs of both biblical Deborah (Judges 4-5) and Mary Mitchell Slessor, the White Queen of Okoyong. In the time where patriarchy was the rule of the day, there arose two women at different places, times yet with similar circumstances to salvage the people and bring about God’s mission to the human race. Though both operated within the context of the mission of the church, theirs was missio dei not missio ecclesia, because in their age, missio ecclesia used more of patriarchal instruments while mission dei was/is involve in using human and the entire inhabited world (oikoumenē). The peculiar things about the epochs of both Deborah and Mary Slessor are best described in the text, "...in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:6-7). Both characters are worth studying in close comparison with each other, and this is one of the reasons for this paper. Drawing insights from both characters using historical methodology in the study of religion and the Feminist Biblical Hermeneutics of the Reconstruction of Biblical History among other feminist theories as approaches in evaluating Judges 4 & 5 and content analysis research methodology in respect of the life of Biblical Deborah and the life of Mary Mitchell Slessor, the work concludes that in the missio dei, God’s whose plan is for an egalitarian society uses all genders equally to bring to pass God’s mission. The significant of this work lies not only in it providing a tool for further academic research but in the lessons to be drawn for the present political and religious dispensation in Africa in particular and the world in general.

Highlights

Background and PersonalityThe path of honour is not always trod by those who were born into greatness but by those who irrespective of their birth made positive indelible marks in the lives of people
This is a system where the female gender is considered to be fragile, ignorant beings and inferior to men in all aspects of life. It was in such a time, there arose two women at different places, times yet with similar circumstances to salvage the people and bring about God’s mission to the human race. Though both operated within the context of the mission of the church, theirs was missio dei not missio ecclesia, because in their age, missio ecclesia used more of patriarchal instruments while mission dei was/is involve in using human beings and the entire oikoumene
The peculiar things about the epochs of both Deborah and Mary Slessor are best described in the text, "...in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths

Summary

INTRODUCTION

“For most of the religions of the world women are a problem; from time immemorial they have been subordinate to men, second-class in the family, politics and business, with limited rights and even limited participation in worship.” (Küng, 2005) This is not different from the epochs of both biblical Deborah (Judges 4-5) and Mary Mitchel Slessor, the White Queen of Okoyong. Roads were abandoned, and so people took winding paths Village life was doomed, without joy but tears, pains and agony The negative situations were not changed by the patriarchal system but by women – Deborah and Mary Slessor respectively. It was a males’ world! Such was the society in which Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth became a prophetess and a judge

A Prophetess

A Deliverer

CONCLUSION