Ujamaa theology and human sexuality in Tanzania: a socio-historical and hermeneutical analysis of Ujamaa literature in the context of same-sex sexuality.

Abstract

This thesis explores Ujamaa theology in the context of human sexuality, focusing on a sociohistorical and hermeneutical analysis of Ujamaa literature to uncover theological and biblical conceptual resources that could be employed in engagement with contemporary contestation over issues of same-sex sexuality in Tanzania. For a broader understanding of Ujamaa and its socio-historical setting, this study interrogates the pre-colonial history of the land that became Tanzania, spanning back several millennia, which is vital for a better understanding of Tanzanian peoples and their intimate ways of life, colonization and Christianization, the spirit of the Ujamaa movement and the need for liberation from colonization and its aftermath. The study examines same-sex sexuality and explores how eroticism and sexual relationships have been experienced and practiced in Tanzania across time and space. It aims to shed light on aspects of life that were suppressed and silenced by colonial influences and have been neglected by mainstream biblical and theological studies in Tanzania. This study draws from historical texts as well as works by anthropologists, sociologists, medical scientists, and human rights advocates. On one level, it addresses the terminology, concepts, existence, prevalence, socio-cultural attitudes, and representations of same-sex-oriented individuals. On another, it investigates the politics and policies related to same-sex practices, along with religious and cultural discourses surrounding same-sex sexuality in Tanzania There has been a deliberate crackdown on LGBTIQ persons, and countless people with perceived or assumed same-sex sexuality, LGBTIQ activists and allies whose names and stories are unknown, have suffered brutal physical, verbal and spiritual violence in the hands of some religious leaders, families, politicians and the public in Tanzania. The growing intolerance and violence against same-sex sexuality is foreign to the Tanzanian society of Ujamaa. Equally, denouncement of same-sex sexuality, or even the silence of theologians, is a matter of theological concern that requires interrogation. Hence, this thesis aims, first, to investigate the concept of Ujamaa and analyze its biblicaltheological elements that could inform contemporary discourse on same-sex sexuality. Second, to examine an Ujamaa interpretive approach to scripture and consider its application in the current Tanzanian context regarding same-sex sexuality. Third, to address issues related to same-sex sexuality, especially violence against LGBTIQ individuals, by utilizing theological insights from Ujamaa theology; and fourth, bring Ujamaa liberation theology into dialogue with present-day concerns surrounding same-sex sexuality, contributing academically to the theologically underresearched field of human sexuality in Tanzania. Lastly, the study proposes Contextual Bible Study (CBS) on Genesis 18-19 and Galatians 3:26-28 respectively, as theological praxis for an inclusive Ujamaa theology that integrates issues of samesex sexuality through the CBS process, fostering a transformative and prophetic public theology that practically engages with the lived realities of LGBTIQ individuals in Tanzania.