Mutual submission, mutual respect: Reciprocal enkanyit in Ephesians 5 in the Maasai context
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch Theological Journal
Abstract
In Ephesians 5:21, Paul enjoins all Christians to live in mutual submission to each
other out of reverence for Christ. In the verses that follow, Paul describes what this
mutual submission should look like in practice. Some interpreters neglect the intimate
connection which Eph 5:22-6:9 shares with the preceding verses in chapter 5. Indeed,
the mutual submission of verse 21 is not only the conclusion of the 5:1-21 but is the
foundation and title of 5:21-6:9. Failure to recognize this has led some to mock the
very idea of mutual submission between husbands and wives. In the real world, this too
often serves to justify unjust oppress ion and silencing of women within the Church.
This article attempts to correct these errors. It also examines these issues in the context
of Maasai culture and the traditional Maasai value of enkanyit (honour, mutual
respect). A more careful exegesis of Ephesians 5 demonstrates that mutual submission
provides the way for relational harmony between husbands and wives.
Description
Keywords
Submission, mutual, Respect, Ephesians, Gender, Maasai
Citation
Stellenbosch Theological Journal 7, no. 1 (2021): 1-34