oa [Non-Western Women's Images of Jesus, Jezusbeelden van niet-westerse vrouwen]

In this article, the question is raised in which regard non-Western, female theologians’ images of Jesus are different from those of Western, female theologians and from non-Western, male theologians. We begin with a sketch of the Christological debate within Western, feminist theology. Next, we divide our survey of non-Western women’s images of Jesus into two categories: images which refer to typically female characteristics, and images which do not refer to these aspects, but which, for women, do have an emotional value. We conclude that the connectedness with Jesus as the origin of life (power) unites Western and non-Western, female theologians. Jesus is not a lonesome mediator who occupies an isolated position between God and man. However, non-Western, female theologians usually refer to a broader concept of life in which the many threats of life are dealt with more extensively, and they also more emphatically hold on to their personal relationship to Jesus. They share their broad concept of life with their male colleagues, who, however, pay considerably less attention to Jesus as a breaker of taboos – especially concerning the female (im)purity. Non-Western, female theologians turn out to be more uninhibited in using the notion of a salvific sacrifice than Western female theologians. No doubt, this more positive attitude is related to their less individualistic attitude to life.