Images of Motherhood - Conflicts and Creative New Thinking Within and From Out of the Christian Tradition

Abstract

What images of motherhood are presently being articulated within the Christian tradition? What new images are emerging? In this article I will explore these questions and relate the images so identified to the agency of women. My objective is to uncover images that can be liberating for women, not just the usual portrayals of subordination. I will focus on three texts drawn from different global contexts. The first is from Sri Lanka, the second from South Africa, and the third is from Sweden. I share Lyotard's (1979) view that, at a time when different parts of the globe are coming together, it is important to bring diverse "narratives" into dialogue with one another.