Complex Circles: Historiography of African Christian Women's Organisations

Abstract

These two books provide interesting perspectives on the vibrancy of African Christian women's organisations. As many commentators have observed, the vitality of Christianity in Africa owes much to the creativity of African women. The books examine the growth of different women's organisations over varying periods of time. They highlight the struggles of African Christian women against oppressive patriarchal traditions, and their quest to lead better lives. Hinfelaar sets out to write the history of Methodist and Roman Catholic women's organisations in Mbare, an old suburb of Harare (formerly Salisbury). While the Ruwadzano/Manyano movement of the Methodists has received considerable scholarly attention, the dearth of material on Catholic women's organisations in Zimbabwe is significant. Hinfelaar observes that, 'There is hardly any documentary evidence on the origins of the Chita chaMaria movement in Zimbabwe' (55). The official version of the Catholic Church credits Fr Aloyius Nyanhete as the founder of the movement, while oral interviews with pioneering members identify African women as the founders. Hinfelaar's study