Sexuality and religion in the novel Oranges are not the only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson.

Abstract

This thesis is based on the novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit authored by Jeanette Winterson in 1985. The auto-fiction novel is about a young girl who is raised in a Conservative Christian background and learns that she is a lesbian. This novel is only a starting point for dialogue on homosexuality in the Church in Africa, in which I use a postcolonial approach and is not in anyway a model to be used in understanding same-sex relations in Africa. The thesis begins its dialogue on the premises of the incoherent voices of the Church in Africa on its standpoint on homosexuality. While the church continues to deliberate on its position on homosexuality LGBTIQ persons continue to be victims of hate crimes, discrimination and society continues to relate to them as mysterious and exotic. The question which is addressed is what issues on sexuality and religions are raised in the novel Oranges and how has the Church in Africa dealing with homosexuality. It is beyond the scope of my study to answer the question of which orientation is right or wrong. The main purpose of this thesis instead is seeking to facilitate a dialogue and develop positive sexual images and conceptions of expression of oneself sexually. In a way this will unburden the body from the expectations of the religious institution and the family institution. I present rising tensions between sexuality and religion in the novel and in the Church in Africa. To accomplish this I made use of books, essays, videos, newspapers, websites and articles published on sexuality, homosexuality, legislation, the Churches and their varied positions and engagements with LGBTIQ persons was read and utilized. The discussions that are on-going and past are twofold: (i) they reveal that the uneasiness around homosexuality, I argued, is rooted in the absence of positive language to talk about the body and sex in heterosexual relations that are supposedly the ‘relations’. (ii) On looking at the homosexuality conversations, I argue they are philosophical and ontological and I argued that this intentionally/unintentionally excludes a certain group of people for an example, those at the grassroots of the community. This, I argue because the hate crimes directed LGBTIQ persons suggests that there is no clear understanding amongst most people of what homosexuality entails substantially. In concluding, I argued that there is an urgent need for narratives of LGBTIQ persons to represent themselves and actively formulate their identities and theology. The agenda of nonv LGBTIQ persons writing as allies to the community are progressive and worth celebrating, however the outsider approach is limited in what they can offer in terms of daily experience and formulation on theology. I acknowledge that there is a lot of work that has been done on the theology of LGBTIQ persons, but not much has been done by LGBTIQ persons themselves. So what we have is theology about homosexuals and not with homosexuals. Lastly, it is recommended for further work that one explores if up-bringing impacts and shapes sexual orientation and to see how Christianity has maneuvered this area. Is there anything in Christian bible that prepares parents and children to understand their bodies and express themselves sexually?