MODULE 5: HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS IN ATR AND CHRISTIANITY

TOPIC: THE FAMILY

S.O.1 Describe different types of family structures in African Traditional Religion and
Christianity.

A family is a group of people who are related through marriage, blood, adoption or assimilation
and uphold values such as love, respect for one another, sharing and unity.

A family is a group of people living together in what is considered to be the smallest unit of
society.

Christianity

- Nuclear family is considered the most ideal family structure

-It is a family that is made up of parents, husband and wife, and their children

African Traditional Religion

-The extended family is the most ideal family structure

- It is a family that is made up of more than just parents and their children, but includes other
relatives such as grandparents, uncles, aunts etc.

-The extended family structure is therefore made up of several generations.

Other family structures in today’s society include;

Single parent family: is made up of one parent and the children, this could be a result of divorce,
death of spouse and choice not to marry at all

Blended family: is made up of a husband and wife together with children from their previous
marriages.

Child headed family: Children live on their own with one of the children usually the oldest
playing the role of a parent.

Childless family: consist of a husband and wife without children.

S.O.2 Explain the importance of family relationships in Christianity and ATR in Botswana

-Emotional support; members of the family are always there for each other during good and bad
times e.g. bereavement

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-Loyalty; family members always try to defend each other e.g. protection from external enemies.
Unity, cooperation, sharing and inter-dependence is also promoted.

-Socialization; people are taught how to behave in a way that is acceptable in society, if an
individual became a misfit, it was seen as a failure of that particular family. It is within it that
children should be educated, protected, nurtured and brought to develop a sense of moral such
that they would be kind, caring and loving

-People identify themselves with their family and have a sense of belonging. A sense of
belonging to a wide community is then established

-Material support; they provide for others when they are in need e.g. food

-Norms and values; parents spend most of their time teaching their children about the religion

-Family provides its members with security

S.O.3 Discuss ways of strengthening family ties

CHRISTIANITY

-Worship; they get together for prayer meetings

-family rituals, they come together to celebrate occasions such as birth, baptism, marriage e.tc.

-religious festivals such as Christmas and Easter are celebrated together by the family

-scripture reading, study word of God together in order for them to have the same understanding
and to follow biblical teachings

-Christian charity, a family can volunteer to help the less privileged

-Pilgrimage, they can travel together as a family

-Collective responsibility to raise children, both parents support the children together thereby
making it to instill Christian values together

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

-Practices such as ‘seantlo’, ‘go tsalelwa ngwana (tlhatswa dirope), ‘bogadi’

- Collective responsibility, sharing of responsibilities in the household raising children

-Worship, they worship together as a family e.g. when one is said to have a bad omen or
‘senyama’, they have to come together as a family for purification rituals (phekolo)

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-A child was placed under different family members in case some time in life he/she will have to
live with them

- ‘ditlhogo/masori

TOPIC: MARRIAGE

S.O.1 Discuss the value of marriage in A.T.R. and Christianity

African Traditional Religion

-Brings rival groups together/alliance

-Unifies families and communities

-Promote peace and harmony/a growing stability

-For procreation/means of bearing children

-companionship

-Extends lineage/family name

-Status

-Shared responsibility

-Prevention of fornication

CHRISTIANITY

- For companionship (Genesis 2:21-24)

- For unity and growing stability
- Promotes tolerance and acceptance
- Fulfillment of God’s plan (be fruitful and multiply) Genesis 1: 27-28
- Prevention of fornication

S.O.2 Describe the process of marriage in A.T.R. and Christianity

African Traditional Religion

- Parents choose a marriage partner for their children, usually a girl from a known family
whose behavior and ways are approved. After her parents agree to the union, the girl is
engaged and the boy’s parents give the girl’s parents a cow or sheep. The engagement is
known as go “tlhoma lotlhokwa”.
- “Patlo”, this is a long marriage discussion which usually involves negotiations about the
bride price. Payment of bride wealth (bogadi) is given in the form of cattle to the bride’s

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 family. It is a symbol of appreciation to the bride’s parents for giving away their
daughter. Animals given symbolize fertility. Cattle are always given in even numbers,
“dikgomo ga di tlhotse”
- Go thaya leiso
- Ceremonial bedding
- Ritual bathing: protects the couple from harm, especially those who might be jealous.
- The groom and the bride eat ritual food, this create a close bond between them.
- Administering traditional herbs purifies and protect the couple
- When it is time for marriage to take place the bride to be is counseled by married women
on the expected behavior in her new status. The groom is also counseled by elderly
married men.
- During the wedding ceremony the bride wears a veil ( lemipi) from a slaughtered animal
and she is taken to the groom’s home.

Christianity

-after finding suitable partners, Christians perform an engagement ceremony where the groom
gives the bride to be an engagement ring

- The couple attends counseling sessions where the minister prepares them for marriage.

- Wedding ceremony; during the ceremony, the bride usually wears a long white dress to
symbolize purity and the groom dresses in an elegant suit.

-Reading of the Bible and preaching of the word is done

- Once in the church, the bride and the groom exchange wedding vows before the minister and
other witnesses

- The couple exchange rings as a sign of the promises they made to each other

-The couple signs the marriage register and the certificates

- The priest/minister then blesses the marriage. This is followed by the wedding celebration.

-In some church denominations they eat the Holy Communion

S.O.3 Discuss the challenges facing marriage in both ATR and Christianity

Christianity

-Infidelity/unfaithfulness/adultery; leading to diseases like s.t.d.’s and AIDS

-Infertility/barrenness

- Inter faith marriages (marrying from two different faiths)

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-Failure to adhere to Christian values

- Compatibility

-Parents/family interference

-Secularization, challenges brought about by homosexuality, prostitution, and abortion can

undermine Christian marriage.

-Alcohol and drug abuse

African Traditional Religion

-possibility of transmission of diseases in a polygamous relationship

- Economical challenges on polygamous marriage, the ideal way of raising children was
compromised.

-Infertility/barrenness

- Men at times dessert their wives

S.O.4 Discuss ways of sustaining marriage

Christianity

Marriage is willed by God (it is a gift from God), so God is involved in marriage relationship as
in every other human relationship. He is ready to support the couple in their efforts to love each
other deeply and faithfully

CHRISTIAN VALUES THAT SUSTAIN MARRIAGE

-faithfulness and forgiveness (Hosea 2, Hosea’s marriage)

- Submission Ephesians 5: 21-33

- Marriage is a pact of love (Hosea 2) the love that the couple has for each other is capable of
transforming both as persons

- Four qualities which help a marriage relationship to grow are integrity (honesty and
faithfulness), justice, tenderness and love

- Compromise

- Communication between the two/consultation

- Openness to each other.

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-Genesis 2:24, A man to cleave to his wife and they become one flesh

OTHER WAYS OF SUSTAINING MARRIAGE

-Forgiveness

-Conjugal rights; 1Corinthians 7:1-5, faithfulness, communication and sharing

- Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they are able to love and respect each other

-To love as Christ loves (Ephesians 5:21-23)

-Common faith is a support of husband and wife, especially in times of difficulty.

-marriage seminars

-Support groups in church provide counseling in various ways, moral, spiritual, social e.t.c.

-Marriage counselors/Spiritual Parents advise and help couples to resolve marital issues
amicably and are trained to do the job

-Post marriage counseling

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

-Marriage was a duty and a vocation of everyone, to be married mattered more than who are
married

-Marriage possessed a growing stability because two communities were involved (family and
community) marriages were arranged

- The community educated (initiation schools prepared young men and women for marriage

-Importance of children in ATR to live meant to transmit life; children were highly valued and
acted as a cement of the marriage. Those without were given children by the extended family
members (go tsholelwa ngwana)

- Polygamy also assisted in sustaining the marriage relationship, when the first wife was barren
polygamy was the kindest solution.

- Spiritual fortification- involvement of traditional leaders and ancestors

-Appeasing the ancestors so that they can bless the marriage

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TOPIC: GENDER

S.O.1 Discuss the role of men and women as reflected in ATR and Christianity

ATR

ROLES OF MEN

-makes decisions in the family

-provides material needs of the family e.g. food, clothing etc.

- protects family from attacks

-guides and disciplines children

- teaches boys male roles

- performs family rituals if grandfather is not there

- ensures continuity through making children

-takes care of senior members of the family e.g. grandparents

ROLES OF WOMEN

-she looks after the family

- teaches daughters female roles

- Women can also be traditional healers

- Does household chores

- teaches children cultural values and norms

-makes decisions on behalf of the family in the absence of men

Christianity

ROLES OF WOMEN

-teaches children female duties

- helps husband in decision making

- ensures continuity and family lineage

- performs household chores

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- teaches children Christian values

ROLES OF MEN

-head the family

-ensures continuity in the family

-makes decisions

-cares for in-laws at old age

- teaches boys male roles

- teaches children beliefs, teachings and values of Christianity

S.O. 2 Identify the changing roles of men women in the changing society

WOMEN

- In modern society the mother goes out to provide for the material needs of the family
(career)
- Women have more opportunities for education and political involvement
- Women head families
- Women can now initiate divorce
- Women are now free for religious leadership, they can become deaconesses and act as
leaders and teachers of the congregation
- Women have a say on family planning

MEN

- There are men who stay at home and raise their children while their women go out to
work
- Men can now become chefs, midwifes e.tc

S.O.3 Discuss the changing religious roles of men and women

CHRISTIANITY

- Leadership positions were held by men in the past, in modern society more women are
leaders, and some are becoming priests, prophets e.t.c.
- Decision making role; - men would make decisions in committees even in meetings. In
the modern society women are involved in committees of the Church where they make
decisions.

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- Role of socialization of children; - in the past the role was performed by women. They
were the ones responsible to teach their children religious beliefs, now we see men
getting involved in such a role e.g. Sunday/Saturday school teachers.

- AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

- Head of family- in the past men were given the post of being heads of their families, in
modern society, due to single parenting women are becoming heads of their families

- In the past traditional healers were mostly men, so in the modern society more women are
becoming traditional healers.

WAYS IN WHICH THE ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN COMPLEMENT

EACH OTHER
1. Men as the head of family is assisted by women
2. Men provide for the family while the women manages the resources
3. Men provide guidance for male children while women guides female children
4. Men performs heavy duties while lighter chores are performed by women e.g. when
building a traditional hut men do the roofing while the women build the walls.

S.O.4 Assess the importance of equality between men and women

1. Equal job opportunities/ Education
2. It allows both men and women to develop to their full potential
3. Promotes respect
4. It helps to maintain stability in the family
5. Enable men and women to play an equal role in decision making
6. It creates peace and harmony in the society
7. Enables men and women to cooperate foe a common goal
8. It promotes human rights
9. Enables men and women to share responsibilities
10. Equal opportunities/Enjoy same rights
- Sharing of duties
- Ownership of property

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